'I am grateful, my lord, for your guidance,' said Munro, turning to face the judge, 'but I took an oath to tell the whole truth, and I presume you would not wish me to do otherwise?'
'No, I would not, sir,' snapped the judge, 'but I repeat, this is not the appropriate place to express such views.'
'My lord, if a man cannot express his honestly held views in the Central Criminal Court, perhaps you can advise me where else he is free to state that which he believes to be the truth?'
A ripple of applause ran around the public gallery.
'I think the time has come to move on, Mr. Redmayne,' said Mr. Justice Hackett.
'I have no more questions for this witness, my lord,' said Alex. The judge looked relieved.
As Alex resumed his seat, Sir Matthew leaned across and whispered, 'I actually feel a little sorry for dear Arnold. He must be torn between taking on this giant at the risk of being humiliated, or avoiding him altogether and leaving the jury with an impression that they will regale their grandchildren with.'
Mr. Munro didn't flinch as he stared resolutely at Pearson, who was deep in conversation with his junior, both of them looking equally perplexed.
'I don't wish to hurry you, Mr. Pearson,' said the judge, 'but is it your intention to cross-examine this witness?'
Pearson rose even more slowly than usual, and did not tug the lapels of his gown or touch his wig. He glanced down at the list of questions he had forfeited his weekend to prepare, and changed his mind.
'Yes, my lord, but I will not be detaining the witness for long.'
'Just long enough, I hope,' murmured Sir Matthew.
Pearson ignored the remark, and said, 'I am at pains to understand, Mr. Munro, how a man as shrewd and experienced in legal matters as yourself could not have suspected even for a moment that his client was an impostor.'
Munro tapped his fingers on the side of the witness box, and waited for as long as he felt he could get away with. 'That's easy to explain, Mr. Pearson,' he eventually said. 'Danny Cartwright was at all times utterly plausible, though I confess that there was a single moment in our two-year-long relationship when he lowered his guard.'
'And when was that?' Pearson asked.
'When we were discussing his grandfather's stamp collection and I had cause to remind him that he had attended the opening of an exhibition of that collection at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. I was surprised that he did not appear to recollect the occasion, which I found puzzling, as he was the only member of the Moncrieff family who had received an invitation.'
'Did you not question him on the subject?' demanded Pearson.
'No,' said Munro. 'I felt that it would not have been appropriate at the time.'
'But if you suspected, even for a moment, that this man was not Sir Nicholas,' Pearson said, pointing a finger at Danny but not looking in his direction, 'surely it was your responsibility to pursue the matter?'
'I did not feel so at the time.'
'But this man was perpetuating a massive fraud on the Moncrieff family, which you had made yourself a party to.'
'I didn't see it that way,' responded Munro.
'But as you were the custodian of the Moncrieff estate, surely it was your duty to expose Cartwright for the fraud he was.'
'No, I didn't consider that to be my duty,' said Munro calmly.
'Did it not alarm you, Mr. Munro, that this man had taken up residence at the Moncrieffs' London town house when he had no right to do so?'
'No, it did not alarm me,' replied Munro.
'Were you not appalled by the thought that this outsider now had control of the Moncrieff fortune, which you had guarded so jealously on behalf of the family for so many years?'
'No, sir, I was not appalled by that thought.'
'But later, when your client was arrested on charges including fraud and theft, did you not feel that you had been negligent in the pursuance of your duty?' demanded Pearson.
'I do not require you to advise me whether I have or have not been negligent in my duty, Mr. Pearson.'
Sir Matthew opened one eye. The judge kept his head down.
'But this man had stolen the family silver, to quote another Scot, and you had done nothing to prevent it,' said Pearson, his voice rising with every word.
'No, sir, he had not stolen the family silver, and I feel confident that Harold Macmillan would have agreed with me on this occasion. The only thing Danny Cartwright had stolen, Mr. Pearson, was the family name.'
'You can no doubt explain to the court,' said the judge, having sufficiently recovered from Mr. Munro's previous onslaught, 'the moral dilemma I am facing with your hypothesis.'
Mr. Munro turned to face the judge, aware that he had captured the attention of everyone in the court, including the policeman on the door. 'Your lordship need not trouble himself with any moral dilemma, because I was interested only in the legal niceties of the case.'
'The legal niceties?' said Mr. Justice Hackett, treading carefully.
'Yes, m'lord. Mr. Danny Cartwright was the sole heir to the Moncrieff fortune, so I was unable to work out what law, if any, he was breaking.'
The judge leaned back, happy to allow Pearson to be the one who sank deeper and deeper into the Munro mire.
'Can you explain to the court, Mr. Munro,' asked Pearson in a whisper, 'just what you mean by that?'
'It's quite simple really, Mr. Pearson. The late Sir Nicholas Moncrieff made a will in which he left everything to Daniel Arthur Cartwright of twenty-six Bacon Road, London E3, with the sole exception of an annuity of ten thousand pounds, which he bequeathed to his former driver, a Mr. Albert Crann.'
Sir Matthew opened his other eye, not sure whether to focus on Munro or Pearson.
'And this will was properly executed and witnessed?' asked Pearson, desperately searching for a possible escape route.
'It was signed by Sir Nicholas in my office on the afternoon of his father's funeral. Aware of the gravity of the situation and my responsibility as the legal custodian of the family estate-as you have been so keen to point out, Mr. Pearson-I asked Senior Officer Ray Pascoe and Senior Officer Alan Jenkins to witness Sir Nicholas's signature in the presence of another partner of the firm.' Munro turned to the judge. 'I am in possession of the original document, m'lord, should you wish to study it.'
'No, thank you, Mr. Munro. I am quite happy to take your word,' the judge replied.
Pearson collapsed onto the bench, quite forgetting to say, 'No more questions, my lord.'
'Do you wish to re-examine this witness, Mr. Redmayne?' the judge inquired.
'Just one question, my lord,' said Alex. 'Mr. Munro, did Sir Nicholas Moncrieff leave anything to his uncle, Hugo Moncrieff?'
'No,' said Munro. 'Not a brass farthing.'
'No more questions, m'lord.'
An outbreak of hushed whispers filled the courtroom as Munro stepped out of the witness box, walked across to the dock and shook hands with the defendant.
'My lord, I wonder if I might address you on a point of law,' inquired Alex as Munro departed from the courtroom.
'Of course, Mr. Redmayne, but first I will have to release the jury. Members of the jury, as you have just heard, defense counsel has asked to discuss a point of law with me. It may not have any bearing on the case, but should it do so, I will fully brief you on your return.'
Alex looked up at the packed public gallery as the jury left. His gaze settled on an attractive young woman whom he had noticed sitting at one end of the front row every day since the trial had begun. He had meant to ask Danny who she was.
A few moments later the usher approached the bench and said, 'The court has been cleared, m'lord.'
'Thank you, Mr. Hepple,' said the judge. 'How can I assist you, Mr. Redmayne?'
'My lord, following the evidence given by the estimable Mr. Munro, the defense would suggest that there is no
