electronic alee may well be able to doctor the evidence. Almost always,
therefore, corroboration will depend on the testimony of eyewitnesses who,
even if honest, can be the victims of tricks of memory over times and
sightings; or, on the testimony of witnesses who are dishonest, and are
willing to fabricate falsehoods - for friends, perhaps, or for a fee. The
alibi problem is further complicated by the
confident assertion of some mystic sects that one can, in fact, be in two
places simultaneously, although the police are grateful that such bizarre
beliefs are currently not widely embraced.
Morse himself championed the view that all alibis should probably be ignored
in the first instance, on the not illogical grounds that if just one of them
were suspect, it was sensible to assume that all of them were . . .
Such views (with variants) Sergeant Lewis had heard several times before, and
it was therefore with some diffidence that he broached the subject the
following morning.
'Don't you reckon it would be a good idea to get all these alibis sorted out
a bit clearer?'
'A bit more clearly, Lewis.'
'The night Mrs Harrison was murdered, the morning Flynn and Repp were
murdered ' ' And don't forget Monday morning. '
'Barron, you mean? You surely don't still think ?'
Morse held up his right hand in surrender.
'You're right, perhaps.
Let's make a list. Well, you make a list. Ready? '
He steepled his slim fingers in front of him and stared into the middle
distance, though with little observable enthusiasm in his eyes: 'Frank
Harrison Simon Harrison Sarah Harrison Harry Repp John Barren ...'
'That's the short- list?' Morse nodded.
'OK. First I'll recheck where they all were, or where they were all supposed
to be, first when Mrs Harrison ' Already been done. You've read the files.
' ' Weren't checked very thoroughly though, some of 'em. '
'Long time ago, Lewis. People forget or want to forget or pretend to
forget.'
'A day like that though, when she was murdered? Biggest day in village
history. Everybody remembers where they were, like when Kennedy was
assassinated.'
'Nonsense, Lewis! People remember where they were and what they were doing
at the time they heard of things like that. Agreed. But what else? Do you
remember what you were doing for the rest of the day when Kennedy was shot?
Do you?'
'No. I take your point, sir.'
'Who are you thinking of particularly?'
'Well the family got away with some pretty flimsy alibis, didn't they?
Especially Simon and Sarah. No one seems to have checked them much at all.'
'Ye- es.'
'Simon said he got home from work about a quarter-past five, had a meal, then
went down to the ABC cinema in George Street to see The Full Monty. Still
had his ticket if I remember rightly.'
Morse nodded and Lewis continued: 'Sarah? She was at a Diabetes Conference
in the Radcliffe Infirmary that day no doubt about that. And after it had
finished she went over the road to the Royal Oak for a drink with a few
friends no doubt about that either and then left for her flat in Jericho at
about a quarter-to-seven, where she listened to The Archers, had a long hot
bath, watched the Nine O'clock News, and then had an early night.'
'Making no mention in the course of her evidence that she had a phone call in
the middle of the evening, as a result of which she tore down to the ABC
Cinema, bought a ticket for The Full Monty ' ' Probably no seats left that
night, sir. '
' - bought a ticket and promptly tore it across the middle and then tore out
of the place.'
'Sir! Not so much of this tearing about all over the shop! She'd sprained
her ankle just before then and she'd probably be hobbling ' ' -she hobbled
out of the cinema with a very valuable little alibi in her pretty little
hand.'
'Alibi for Simon, you mean?'
'Or for herself.'
'You're losing me again, sir.'
'I'm losing myself. Don't worry.'
'What about Frank Harrison?'
'You tell me' ' Well,
