The Judas Window

witness shall be found?'

A conference ensued, in which several glances were directed towards H.M. Then Sir Walter Storm got up.

'My lord, the nature of the Crown's case is such that we believe we can save the time of the court by dispensing with his testimony and continuing with our evidence in the ordinary course.'

'The decision must rest with you, Sir Walter. At the same time, if the witness is under subpoena, he should be here. I think the matter should be investigated, and I will have steps taken in that direction.'

'Of course, my lord ...'

'Call Frederick John Hardcastle.'

Frederick John Hardcastle, a police-constable, testified as to the discovery of the body. While he was on duty in Grosvenor Square at six-forty-five, a man whom he now knew to be Dyer approached him and said: 'Officer, come in; something terrible has happened.'

As he went into the house, a car drove up; the car contained Dr Hume and a woman (Miss Jordan) who seemed to have fainted. In the study he found the prisoner and a man who introduced himself as Mr Fleming. P.C. Hardcastle said to the prisoner: 'How did this happen?' The prisoner replied: 'I know nothing at all about it and would say nothing more. The witness then telephoned to his divisional police-station, and remained on guard until the arrival of the inspector.

There was no cross-examination. The prosecution then; called Dr Philip McLane Stocking.

Dr Stocking was a lean and bushy-haired man with a hard, narrow mouth but a curiously sentimental look about him. He got hold of the dock-rail and never let go of it. He had an untidy string-tie done into a bow, and a black suit which did not fit too well; but his hands were so clean that they looked polished.

'Your name is Philip McLane Stocking, and you are Professor of Forensic Medicine at the University of Highgate, and advising surgeon to C Division of the Metropolitan Police?'

'I am.'

'On January 4th last, were you called into 12 Grosvenor Street, and did you arrive there at about seven-forty- five?'

'I did.'

'When you arrived, what did you find in the study?'

'I found the dead body of a man lying between the window and the desk, face upwards, and very close to the desk.' The witness had a rather thick voice, which he had difficulty in keeping clear. 'Dr Hume was present, and Mr Fleming, and the prisoner. I said: 'Has he been moved?' The prisoner answered: 'I turned him over on his back. He was lying on his left side with his face almost against the desk.' The hands were growing cold; the upper arms and the body were quite warm. Rigor mortis was setting in in the lower part of the left arm and in the neck. I judged he had been dead well over an hour.'

'It is impossible to be more definite than that?'

'I should say death occurred between six and six-thirty. I cannot say closer than that.'

'You performed a post-mortem examination of this-body?'

'Yes. Death was caused by the iron point of an arrow penetrating eight inches through the wall of the chest and piercing the heart.'

'Was death instantaneous?'

'Yes, it must have been absolutely instantaneous. Like that,' added the witness, suddenly snapping his fingers with the effect of a conjuring trick.

'Could he have moved or taken a step backwards? What I wish to put to you,' insisted Sir Walter, extending his arm, 'is whether he would have had strength enough to bolt a door or a window after being struck?'

'It is definitely impossible. He fell almost literally in his tracks.'

'What conclusion did you form from the nature of the wound?'

‘I formed the conclusion that the arrow had been used as a dagger, and that a powerful blow had been struck by a powerful man.'

'Such as the prisoner?'

'Yes,' agreed Dr Stocking, giving a brief and sharp look at Answell.

'What were your reasons for this conclusion?'

'The direction of the wound. It entered high - here,' he illustrated, 'and sloped down in an oblique direction to penetrate the heart.'

'At a sharp angle, you mean? A downward stroke?'

'Yes.'

'What do you think of any suggestion that the arrow might have been fired at him?'

'If you ask me for an expression of a personal opinion, I should call it so unlikely as to be almost impossible/

'Why?'

'If the arrow had been fired at him, I should have expected it to have penetrated in more or less a straight line; but certainly not at any such angle as the arrow stood.'

Sir Walter lifted two fingers. 'In other words, doctor, if the arrow had been fired at him, the person who fired it must have been standing somewhere up near the ceiling - aiming downwards?'

It seemed to me that he just refrained from adding, 'like Cupid?' There were overtones in Sir Walter's voice that piled thick ridicule without a word being said. I could have sworn for a second a brief and fishy smile appeared on the face of one of the jury, who usually sat as though they were stuffed. The atmosphere was getting colder.

'Yes, something like that. Or else the victim must have been bent forward almost double, as though he were giving a low bow to the murderer.'

'Did you find any signs of a struggle?'

'Yes. The deceased man's collar and tie were rumpled; his jacket was humped up a little about his neck; his hands were dirty and there was a small scratch on the palm of the right hand.'

'What might have caused this scratch?'

'I cannot say. The point of the arrow might have caused it.'

'As though he had put out a hand to defend himself, you mean?' 'Yes.'

'Was there any blood from this scratch on the dead man's hand?' 'It bled a little, yes.'

'Did you, in the course of your examination, find a stain of blood on any other object in the room?' 'No.'

'Therefore it is likely that the scratch was, in fact, caused by the arrow?' 'I should deduce so.'

'Will you tell us, doctor, what took place immediately after your first examination of the body in the study?'

Again the bushy-haired witness glanced at the prisoner; his mouth had an expression of distaste. 'Dr Spencer Hume, with whom I have some acquaintance, asked me whether I would look at the prisoner.'

'Look at him?'

'Examine him. Dr Hume said: 'He tells us some absurd story about having swallowed a drug; I have just examined him and I can find nothing to support it.''

'What was the prisoner's demeanour during this time?'

'It was collected, much too calm and collected; except that he would occasionally run his hand through his hair, like this. He was not nearly so much affected as I was myself.'

'Did you examine him?'

'In a cursory way. His pulse was rapid and irregular; not depressed as it would have been had he taken a narcotic. The pupils of the eyes were normal.'

'In your opinion, had he taken a drug?'

'In my opinion, he had not.'

'Thank you; that is all.'

('That's torn it,' said Evelyn. The prisoner's white face now wore an expression of puzzlement; once he half rose in his chair as though to make an audible protest, and the two warders with him jerked to watchfulness. I saw his lips move soundlessly. The hounds were baying loudly now; and, if he were really innocent, what he must have been feeling was horror.)

H.M. lumbered to his feet and for a full half minute stood staring at the witness.