‘That’s your opinion,’ said Nicky.
Grace allowed herself a smile.
‘It is indeed, Miss Bailey. So I want you to think carefully before you answer my next question, because I’m sure I don’t have to remind you that perjury is a serious crime, even more so when it’s committed by a police officer.’ He turned his gaze on the jury before asking, ‘How long had you been conducting a sexual relationship with DS Summers before you—’
Grace was quickly on her feet. ‘Is this line of questioning relevant, m’lud? PC Bailey has already admitted her indiscretion. Isn’t that enough?’
‘Nowhere near enough, m’lud,’ said Booth Watson before Mr Justice Ramsden had a chance to respond. ‘Miss Bailey’s behaviour goes to the very heart of this case if we are to discover who is telling the truth and who is a blatant liar.’
‘Cut to the chase, Mr Booth Watson,’ said the judge sternly.
‘As you wish, m’lud. It’s simply that I find it difficult to believe Miss Bailey’s relationship with DS Summers was as fleeting and casual as she claims, when she gave birth to their son only a month ago. The dates just don’t fit,’ he said, emphasizing each word. ‘So I must ask you again, Miss Bailey. How long did the affair last?’
‘A few weeks.’
‘Months, I would suggest, Miss Bailey.’
‘Weeks,’ snapped Nicky.
‘Now that we have established there was a long-term sexual relationship between you and the defendant, perhaps we should move on to your account of how you came across the diamond ring you claim to have found in his flat the morning after you’d slept with Detective Sergeant Summers for the first time. Because once again, the dates don’t fit.’ Booth Watson held out a hand, into which his junior placed a single sheet of paper.
‘Perhaps you can explain this memo given to DS Paul Adaja by your flatmate, DC Rebecca Pankhurst, both members of the squad of which you told the court you were so proud to be a member.’ He looked down at the memo, and began reading it out. ‘ “On the morning of May the thirtieth, when PC Bailey joined me for breakfast, she was wearing a diamond ring I’d never seen before, and which looked extremely expensive.” ’
Nicky gripped the sides of the witness box as she began shaking uncontrollably.
‘Perhaps you’ve forgotten, Miss Bailey, that both parties in a criminal trial are obliged by law to disclose any evidence they are in possession of that might prove relevant to the case. This little bombshell was found smouldering among the two hundred and twenty-three submissions handed over to the court.’
‘That doesn’t alter the fact that the Garrard’s box proves the ring had been stolen by a burglar who was later arrested by DS Summers,’ said Nicky, trying to fight back.
‘Or perhaps it reveals how you yourself got hold of the ring, Miss Bailey? And having discovered it was a little too hot to handle, you then planted it in your lover’s flat.’
‘That’s a ridiculous suggestion,’ said Nicky, almost shouting.
‘Then perhaps you could tell us when DC Pankhurst first saw you wearing the ring in your flat in Pimlico?’
‘The day after Jerry proposed to me.’
‘Did he propose to you, Miss Bailey?’
‘Not in so many words, but he put the ring on my finger.’
‘We only have your word for that,’ said Booth Watson.
‘But I returned the ring and gave the Garrard’s box to DC Pankhurst, assuming she would hand it in to DS Adaja, which indeed she did.’
‘I don’t doubt that, Miss Bailey. However, I’m more interested in how much time passed between your flatmate first seeing the ring on your finger, and you giving her the Garrard’s box. Because unfortunately once again the dates don’t quite fit.’ Booth Watson held up another of the memos. ‘It would seem you held on to the ring for some considerable time before you put it in a place where, to quote your own testimony, “it would be found when the police searched his home”. The jury could be forgiven for wondering just who the guilty party is in this case, and who was engaged in stitching an innocent man up.’
‘Summers is the guilty party, and my only interest was to secure enough evidence to bring him to justice.’
‘It took you long enough,’ boomed Booth Watson. He didn’t wait for Nicky to recover before he added, ‘I’m beginning to think, Miss Bailey, that in fact it was you who stole the ring, and that DS Summers kept quiet about it, because he didn’t want you to be arrested and have to face a prison sentence.’
‘How can that be possible when the ring was stolen before we’d even met?’
Sir Julian allowed himself a smile.
‘We only have your word for when you first met.’
‘You’re making this up as you go along!’ shouted Nicky.
‘As you’ve been doing from the moment you entered the witness box.’
‘Next, you’ll be saying I planted the ring by his bed as an act of revenge.’
Grace grimaced, while Sir Julian bowed his head.
‘I congratulate you, Miss Bailey, on anticipating my next question. As you’ve now admitted, it was the defendant who ended your relationship.’ He paused and looked at the jury for some time, before saying, ‘Perhaps because he discovered you were a bent copper and his only crime was to turn a blind eye.’
Prosecuting counsel was quickly on his feet.
‘I shouldn’t have to remind you, Sir Julian,’ said the judge courteously, ‘that it is not you who is examining this witness on behalf of the Crown.’
Sir Julian sat slowly back down as Grace tentatively rose to her feet, although she wasn’t sure what her father had intended to say. ‘M’lud,’ she began hesitantly, ‘Police Constable Bailey is not on trial—’
‘That’s what you think,’ muttered Booth Watson, who had remained standing.
‘I’ve already admitted that Jerry and I had a relationship, which I’ll regret for the rest of my life,’ Nicky blurted out.
‘Indeed you have, Miss Bailey,’ said Booth Watson. ‘But what you apparently don’t seem to regret is cutting up his clothes, breaking up his furniture, destroying his electronic equipment and smashing his mother’s dinner service, before planting a diamond ring by the side of his bed to use your words “as an act of revenge”.’
The journalists on the press benches didn’t stop scribbling.
‘No, I didn’t!’ shouted Nicky.
‘You didn’t ransack his flat after he dropped you?’
‘No, I didn’t plant the ring.’
‘But you did wreck your ex-lover’s home.’
‘It was no more than he deserved.’
‘Or was it because you wanted to destroy the evidence?’
‘I only wanted to destroy him!’
William bowed his head.
‘Thank you for that frank and honest response, Miss Bailey, because I believe it proves my case,’ said Booth Watson, ‘and allows me to remind the jury once again of William Congreve’s words, “Hell hath no fury, like a woman scorn’d”. I wonder, Miss Bailey, if you recall the playwright’s next line?’
Nicky stared blankly at him.
‘Then allow me to remind you: “For love is oft to foulest vengeance turned”.’
Sir Julian half rose, and then recalled he wasn’t examining this witness, otherwise he would have corrected his adversary’s deliberate misquotation of Congreve. Booth Watson gave his floored opponent a withering glance, before he turned to the judge and said, ‘No more questions, m’lud.’
‘You did as well as could be expected in the circumstances,’ said Sir Julian to Grace as they walked back to Lincoln’s Inn after the judge had called a halt to the day’s proceedings.
‘Nicky should have known better than to lose her temper with Booth Watson and allow it to become personal,’ said Clare.