‘I really don’t think we have enough information at this stage to even begin to discuss what we’ve heard so far, Gwen,’ Meg said, sternly.
‘Really? Well, let me tell you, the hat I’ve had made for Ascot this year has cost me a fortune.’
‘Would you like me to ask the judge if he will excuse you from this jury on the grounds of what your hat has cost?’ Meg asked her.
There were some smiles around the table.
The woman looked at them all, partly in disgust and partly in bewilderment. ‘Well, surely none of us wants to miss it, do we?’
‘I’m afraid I’ve never been,’ Meg said. ‘And to be honest, Ascot is the least of our worries.’
52
Tuesday 14 May
Under blazing hot, cloudless sunshine in Guayaquil’s Seminario Park, Laura knelt, smiling happily, beside a large iguana, as Cassie took a video. They had both been a little subdued after thinking they might have had their drinks spiked last night. Two very sleazy guys had been hitting on them in a bar, and they had both felt very drunk after just two small beers. They’d asked the barman to call them a taxi, and drunk a lot of water, at Cassie’s suggestion — she’d read about it somewhere — when they got back to their room. But Laura perked up at the sight of the camera.
‘Hey, everybody!’ Laura said to the camera. ‘When I marry, I’m going to marry an iguana! Aren’t they beautiful? Did you know, here’s an interesting fact for you... they have two penises.’ She paused. ‘It’s true!’
Cassie snorted and ended the video laughing. ‘Seriously?’
‘Seriously!’ Laura replied. ‘They’re called hemipenises. One works with the left testicle and the other with the right. It gives them two shots at impregnating the female.’
‘Are you sure it’s not so the female has a choice of sizes? I mean, how cool would that be?’ She put on an affected accent. ‘Eow, Rodders, I think tonight I’ll go for the big one.’
Laura laughed. ‘And if he can’t raise one, well, hell, he’s got backup!’
The crazy-paved paths through the small park in the centre of the busy city were teeming with iguanas of every size, a sanctuary the creatures had made their own. Tourists, many backpackers like themselves, were posing with them and the iguanas seemed quite happy.
Suddenly, Cassie looked serious. ‘Let’s go and sit down.’ She pointed to an empty bench.
They eased their heavy backpacks off their shoulders and sat, placing them on the ground in front of them, watching the interaction between the people in the park and the prehistoric-looking creatures in silence for some moments. Both of them took several photographs. Then, still holding her phone up and without looking at Laura, Cassie said, quietly, ‘Someone is following us.’
Laura replied, ‘Oh yes? Is he fit?’
‘I’m serious.’
Laura gave her a sideways look. Her friend wasn’t smiling. ‘One of the guys from last night?’
Cassie shook her head. ‘No, but I’ve got a feeling I’ve seen him before. Creepy. Don’t look now, he’s on that bench, the far side of the tree in the middle of the path, with the turquoise building behind him.’
Laura waited a few seconds, then with her head still tilted towards her friend, her eyes safely concealed behind her sunglasses, glanced in the direction Cassie said. A man, maybe in his forties though it was hard to tell his age from this distance, wearing a blue baseball cap, sunglasses, T-shirt and jeans was sitting alone on a bench, seemingly absorbing the atmosphere. A camera with a long lens lay on his lap.
‘Blue cap?’ she queried.
‘Maybe I’m being paranoid, but I swear I’ve seen him before. And more than once. I wasn’t going to say anything, but it’s very weird that now he’s here.’
‘We’re following a pretty common tourist route, C. Maybe he’s just in sync with us?’
‘Maybe,’ Cassie said, dubiously.
‘Maybe he has two penises?’
Cassie grinned. ‘Now, that would make him more interesting!’
‘Shall I go over to him and ask him how many he has?’
‘No way!’ She hesitated. ‘Oh, shit.’
‘What?’
‘Don’t look. He’s taking a photograph of us.’
53
Tuesday 14 May
A sturdy, confident-looking middle-aged man, with close-cropped hair, was led into court by an usher. He was dressed in a navy-blue suit, white shirt and burgundy tie and had a friendly demeanour. He entered the witness stand, stated his name when requested and took the oath as if well used to doing this.
Stephen Cork stood up. ‘Haydn Kelly, could you please tell the court your professional qualifications.’
‘Yes, of course.’ He turned to the jury. ‘I was elected Dean of the Faculty of Podiatric Surgery completing a full three-year term of office. I still have supported links with the University of Plymouth where I initially qualified before undertaking and completing my Fellowship in London. I have received university accreditation as an expert witness. I was also the founding chair of a forensic podiatry group. I have contributed to book chapters and written and compiled a textbook on Forensic Gait Analysis.’
Cork remained standing. ‘And in 2000 you created Forensic Gait Analysis. It was during July of that same year when it was first admissible as expert evidence in criminal law, at the Old Bailey, London. Is that correct?’
‘Yes, it is.’
Cork continued. ‘Could you tell the court in your own words what is Forensic Gait Analysis?’
‘In the general context, Forensic Gait Analysis is the application of gait analysis knowledge to legal matters or problems. More specifically, the identification of a person or persons by their gait or features of their gait, usually from closed-circuit television — CCTV — footage and comparison to footage of a known individual.’
Kelly cleared his throat and went on. ‘We must also appreciate that all forms of identification are based on probability and this should not be misunderstood.’
‘Thank you for clarifying that with the court. Is it also the case that you have provided expert evidence on numerous occasions, receiving instructions by counsel for the prosecution and the defence, in the UK and overseas?’
Kelly answered in the affirmative.
‘And you have given expert evidence in medico-legal matters of clinical negligence and personal injuries to the civil courts for many years. Is that also correct?’
‘Yes,’ Kelly replied.
‘And this is in addition to you having treated many thousands of patients in your years of practice, with the diagnosis and treatment of a wide variety of foot, lower limb and musculoskeletal-related problems, which often involves gait analysis and biomechanical assessments?’
‘Yes, that is correct.’
‘I would now like to come, if I may, to the video footage that you have studied, and as detailed in your report provided for the court. In particular, the video CCTV footage taken in Edward Street, Kemp Town, Brighton, on the morning of Wednesday November 21st of last year, which has been shown to this court. Could you please tell us what you are able to establish from this?’
‘Firstly, the CCTV footage was examined, followed by that of the custody suite video footage. Both are of a quality that is suitable for the purpose of Forensic Gait Analysis to be undertaken. The unknown person displayed on the CCTV footage is seen walking along Edward Street and stopping at the doorway to the premises named TG Law. The person rang the doorbell and some moments later entered the premises. That individual seen on the CCTV footage displays the same distinctive and unusual features of gait as seen on the comparative footage taken of the person made known to me as Michael Starr, filmed walking in and around the police custody centre in Brighton.’