Appleton out of his attempted stonewalling answers, which he guessed Appleton now realized, and by so doing unsettled the man. The lawyer stoked the unease by letting Appleton’s reply settle in the minds of the jury before saying, ‘What was the outcome of that surveillance here in the United States?’
‘Nothing,’ Appleton was forced to admit.
‘I didn’t quite hear that,’ said Beckwith, settling into his performance.
‘They didn’t discover the man.’
‘They didn’t discover the identity of any man with whom your wife was having an affair,’ expanded Beckwith. ‘How long was your wife under surveillance here in America?’
‘I’m not sure,’ Appleton tried to avoid.
‘Of course you’re sure!’ insisted Beckwith. ‘You employed them: paid them money for the period during which they tried but failed to find anyone with whom your wife was sleeping. How long was your wife watched here in America before she went on vacation to France?’
‘A month.’
‘Your enquiry agents will be called, to give evidence,’ warned Beckwith. ‘Do you want to think again how long a period it was?’
‘Maybe six weeks. It ran on, over into the time they spent in France. It may have been six weeks here.’
‘Are they experienced enquiry agents?’
‘Yes.’
‘Yet over a period of six weeks, they failed to discover the lover with whom you were sure your wife was sleeping?’
‘Am sure!’
Beckwith let Appleton’s blurted, angry answer hang in the air for several moments before asking, ‘Your investigators failed to find any evidence of a lover here. What other evidence – other source – do you have to make that assertion?’
‘The infection I caught.’
‘That’s your proof?’
‘Yes.’
‘How much did six weeks unsuccessful surveillance here in America cost you, Mr Appleton?’
‘It wasn’t broken down in the bills I have so far paid.’
‘All right. Then tell the court the amount you have so far paid.’
‘Two hundred and twenty thousand dollars.’
There was a stir among the jury and Beckwith waited for it to subside. ‘A huge sum of money, the majority of which I assume to have been incurred on air fares and expenses in sending your investigators to France?’
‘Yes.’
‘Where they discovered the affair between my client and your wife?’
‘Yes.’ Appleton smiled.
‘Were you relieved?’
Appleton moved to speak but stopped. ‘I don’t understand.’
‘A reputable investigation agency had failed after six weeks of twenty-four-hour surveillance to find that your wife had a lover in this country. In France they found my client. Your suspicions were vindicated, weren’t they?’
‘It proved she was promiscuous.’
‘Did it?’
‘Of course it did.’
‘Why?’
‘Don’t be… it did. What else could it prove?’ Appleton was almost shouting when he finished.
Today was unfolding just like yesterday, thought Jordan. And without the slightest input from him. He saw Alyce was leaning forward in her seat, head slightly to one side, her entire concentration upon her husband. Leanne Jefferies’ attention was also focussed intently at the overpowering commodity trader.
Instead of responding to Appleton’s demand Beckwith said to Pullinger, ‘With your permission, your honour, I would like to introduce into the court the birth certificate of Harvey William Jordan, the copy of the passport of Harvey William Jordan and a venerealogist’s report upon Harvey William Jordan prepared by an American specialist, Dr George Abrahams.’
To Pullinger’s nodded agreement, the court usher collected the itemized material for distribution; as Reid had done the previous day, Beckwith personally handed the individual packages along the attorney tables.
‘The first document before you, numbered one, attests the birth of Harvey William Jordan in Paddington, London, England, on June tenth, 1966, does it not?’
‘Yes,’ agreed Appleton.
‘Will you turn to the final page of the copy of the United Kingdom passport, numbered two on its attached sticker, and read aloud to the court the surname on the first line of the man photographed in it?’
‘Jordan.’
‘And the given names on the next line?’
‘I am being lenient here, Mr Beckwith,’ cautioned the judge, making his first interruption.
‘Which I appreciate while asking your honour to accept the importance of this pedantry to my client,’ said Beckwith.
‘Keep it within bounds,’ ordered the black-robed man.
‘The given names, Mr Appleton?’ prompted Beckwith.
‘Harvey William,’ dully responded Appleton.
‘Go now, if you will, to the front of the document, in which are recorded the visas and entry dates into countries outside the European Union,’ guided the lawyer. ‘What is the last entry stamp that you can find for an entry into the United States of Harvey William Jordan, a copy of whose passport you now hold?’
‘January thirteenth, 2004.’
‘Endorsed for what period of time?’
‘Ninety days.’
‘From which it is beyond question that Harvey William Jordan could not have remained in the United States of America beyond April thirteen, 2004?’
‘I suppose so.’
‘Will you now go to the diagnostic page of the medical report prepared by Dr George Abrahams, numbered three, that you hold. Does that conclusion read that Harvey William Jordan does not, nor ever has, in the opinion of Dr George Abrahams, suffered from the sexually transmitted infection chlamydia?’
‘Yes,’ sighed Appleton.
‘You spent the majority of $220,000 having your wife followed more than three thousand miles to the South of France to find her with the lover your detective team had failed to identify after six full weeks of surveillance here in this country, didn’t you?’
‘It proved she was promiscuous.’
‘It proved she engaged in one, brief and immediately terminated affair after contracting a venereal infection from you, who admits to at least two extra-marital relationships, doesn’t it?’
‘I did not infect my wife.’
‘Neither could Harvey William Jordan, could he, from the irrefutable evidence you hold there in your hand?’
‘She did not contract it from me!’ In his shouted anger Appleton leaned forward over the rail he had the previous day needed for support.
‘Who did she catch it from?’
‘Her other lovers,’ insisted Appleton, wildly.
‘Other lovers your detectives failed to discover.’
‘She’s very clever: knew I was having her watched.’
‘How did she know?’
‘Because I told her!’
Jordan was aware of David Bartle shifting noisily at his table to attract Appleton’s attention, the only way
