Dr Hume in the car at St Praed's Hospital as near six-fifteen as I could, because we were driving straight down to Sussex from there -'
'Quite, Miss Jordan,' interposed counsel, smoothing away the volubility of nervousness. 'Where were you at about six-ten?'
'I was upstairs, packing up. Dr Hume had asked me whether I would put a few things into a suitcase for him, because he did not have time to come home from the hospital to get them; and I was packing my own valise -'
'Exactly; we quite understand. I believe that at about six-ten you heard the front-door bell ring?'
‘Yes.'
'What did you do?'
'I ran out to the stairs and looked over the banisters.'
'Did you see the prisoner come in?'
'Yes. I - I peeped through the lower part of the banisters,' said the witness, and flushed. She added: 'I wanted to see what he looked like.'
'Quite natural. Will you describe what happened?'
'Dyer opened the door. The - that man over there,' with a quick look, 'came in. He said his name was Answell, and that Mr Hume was expecting him. He dropped his hat on the floor. Dyer asked him for his hat and coat, and he said he preferred to keep his coat on.'
'He preferred to keep his overcoat on,' said counsel slowly. 'What was his demeanour then?'
'He spoke very angrily.'
'And after that?'
'Dyer took him down the hall, and round the bend of the little passage that goes to the study. He looked up at me as he went past. They went into the study, and that is all I saw. I went upstairs to finish packing. I did not know what to think.'
'Just tell us what you did, Miss Jordan; that will be sufficient. Let us go on to a few minutes before half-past six. Where were you then?'
'I put on my hat and coat and picked up the bags and came downstairs. Dyer had been told to bring the car round from the garage in Mount Street and put it at the door. I had been expecting him to call me, but when I came downstairs I could not find anyone. I went down to the study door to find out whether Mr Hume had any last messages or instructions before I left.'
'He had no 'last messages', Miss Jordan,' commented Mr Lawton, with unscrupulous grimness. 'What did you do?'
'I was going to knock at the door when I heard someone behind it say: 'Get up, damn you.'' Again the word fell with some incongruity from her lips. She pronounced it self-consciously, as people do in public.
'Anything else?'
'Yes, I think it also said: 'Get up off that floor and say something.'' 'Was it a loud voice?' 'Rather loud.'
'Was it the prisoner's voice?'
'I know now it was. I hardly recognized it then. I associated it somehow with what I had heard Mr Hume say that morning -'
'Did you try the door?'
'Yes, for a second.'
'Was it bolted on the inside?'
'Well, I did not think about its being bolted then. It was locked somehow.' 'And then?'
'Just then Dyer came round the corner of the passage with his hat and overcoat. I ran to him and said: 'They are fighting; they are killing each other; go and stop them.' He said: 'I will go for a constable.' I said: 'You are a coward; run next door and fetch Mr Fleming.'' 'What were you doing then?'
‘I was dancing up and down, I think. He would not go; he said that I had better go in case anything happened, and with me alone in the house. So I did.'
'You found Mr Fleming quickly?'
'Yes, he was just coming down the steps of his house.'
'He returned to the house with you?'
'Yes, and we found Dyer coming from the back of the hall with a poker in his hand. Mr Fleming said: 'What is happening?' Dyer said: 'It is very quiet in there.''
'The three of you went to the study door, I understand?'
'Yes, and Dyer knocked. Then Mr Fleming knocked and hit harder.' 'And then?'
'Well, we heard steps, like, inside; and then someone started to draw the bolt.'
'You are positive that the door was then bolted, and that the bolt had to be withdrawn?'
'Yes, to judge by the sound of it. It worked about a bit, you know; and slid, and the door thumped a little.'
'How long a time should you say elapsed between the time of the knocking and the time the bolt was drawn?'
T don't know. Perhaps it was not very long, but it seemed like ages.'
'A full minute, should you say?'
'Maybe.'
'Please tell the jury what happened then.'
She did not tell the jury. She looked at her hands on the edge of the rail. 'The door opened a few inches, and someone looked out. I saw it was that man. Then he opened the door and said: 'All right; you had better come in.' Mr Fleming ran in, and Dyer walked after him.'
'Did you go into the room?'
'No, I stayed by the door.'
'Just say exactly what you saw.'
'I saw Avory lying beside the desk, on his back, with his feet towards me.'
'Have you seen these photographs?' He indicated. 'I think you nodded, Miss Jordan? Yes. Thank you. Just take that in your hand, if you will.'
-The yellow booklet was handed up to her.
'Look at photograph number 5, please. Is that how he was lying?'
'Yes. I think so.'
'Believe me, I deeply ... yes, you may hand it down. How near the body did you go?'
'No nearer than the door. They said he was dead.'
'Who said he was dead?'
'Mr Fleming, I think.'
'Do you recall anything the accused said?'
'I remember the first part of it. Mr Fleming asked him who did it, and the accused said: 'I suppose you will say I did it.' Mr Fleming said: 'Well, you have finished him; we had better send for the police.' I remember what I saw very well, but I cannot remember much of what I heard. I was not feeling quite right.'
'What was the accused's demeanour?'
'Very calm and collected, I thought, except that his neck-tie was hanging out over his overcoat.'
'What did the accused do when Mr Fleming spoke of sending for the police?'
'He sat down in a chair by the desk, and got a cigarette-case out of his inside pocket, and took out a cigarette and lighted it.'
Mr Huntley Lawton put the tips of his fingers on his desk, remained quiet for a moment, and then bent down to confer with his leader; but I thought that this was a conference for emphasis. The end of that recital was like coming up from under water: you could feel the air drawn into your lungs. At one time or another everyone in court, I think - except the judge - had glanced at the prisoner; but it was a quick and unpleasantly furtive look, which made you glance back from the dock again. Mr Justice Rankin finished making his neat notes, the pen travelling steadily; he looked up, and waited. The witness now had an air of feeling that she must remain in the box for ever, and of trying to prepare herself for that.
Mr Huntley Lawton had only one more thrust. A quick rustle, as of settling back, went through the court when he addressed the witness again.
'I believe, Miss Jordan, that soon after the discovery of the body you were sent in the car to bring back Dr
