yours.
VAIL: On the contrary, Lieutenant, it's your job to prove he's guilty.
Next St Claire got the testimony about symbols. His nudge became a reality.
VAIL: I'd like to go back to symbols for a moment. Doctor, will you explain very simply for the jury the significance of symbols. What they are, for instance?
BASCOTT. Symbolic language is the use of drawings, symbols, uh, recognizable signs, to communicate. For instance, the cross is a symbol for Christianity while the numbers 666 are a universal symbol for the devil. Or to be more current, the symbols for something that is prohibited is a red circle with a slash through it. That symbol is recognized both here and in Europe. As a sign along the road, for instance.
VAIL: Could a symbol come in the form of words? A message, for instance?
BASCOTT. Possibly. Yes.
VAIL: So symbols can come in many forms, not just drawings or pictures?
BASCOTT. Yes, that is true.
VAIL: Now, Doctor, you have testified that you have seen the photographs of the victim in this case, Bishop Rushman?
BASCOTT: Yes, I have.
VAIL: Studied them closely?
BASCOTT. Yes.
VAIU Were there any symbols on the body?
BASCOTT. Uhh…
VAIL: Let me put it more directly. Do you think the killer left a message in the form of a symbol on the victim's body?
BASCOTT. I can't say for sure. It appears that the killer was indicating something but we never figured that out and Stampler was no help.
VAIL. Doctor, we are talking about the letter and numbers on the back of the victim's head, correct?
BASCOTT. I assumed that is what you meant. Yes.
VAIL: Do you recall what the sequence was?
BASCOTT: I believe it said 'B32.146.'
VAIL: Actually, 'B32.156.'
BASCOTT: I'm sorry. Correction, 156.
VAIL: And do you believe that this was a symbol left by the killer?
BASCOTT. Uh. Well, yes, I think we all made that assumption.
'Yeah!' St Claire said aloud. There it was. Maybe the folks in Gideon weren't too far from the truth. It was the same combination of letter and numbers that the killer had put on Linda Balfour's head. St Claire frantically read ahead. What does it mean? he wondered. Did they ever figure it out?
VAIL And that is as far as you took it, correct? BASCOTT. It takes years, sometimes, to break through, to decipher all these subtleties.
VAIL In other words, you really didn't have time to examine all the facts of Mr Stampler's problems, did you?
VENABLE: Objection, Your Honour. Defence is trying to muddle the issue here. The doctor has stated that it might take years to decipher this symbol, as the counsellor calls it. We are here to determine this case on the best evidence available. This line of questioning is completely irrelevant. The numbers could mean anything - maybe even an insignificant phone number.
VAIL Then let the doctor say so.
JUDGE SHOAT. Rephrase, Counsellor.
VAIL Doctor, do you think this symbol is relevant?
