Free A Prisoner of Birth by Jeffrey Archer Page B

but I think it's unlikely that you would forget a day when the man you always knew you were going to marry ended up on the front page of your local paper." Pearson leaned back and his junior passed him a photocopy of the
Bethnal Green and Bow Gazette
, dated February 13, 1986. He asked the usher to hand a copy to the witness.
    "Do you also have copies for the jury?" asked Mr. Justice Sackville, as he peered over his half-moon spectacles at Pearson.
    "I do indeed, m'lord," Pearson replied as his junior passed across a large bundle to the court usher, who in turn handed one up to the judge before distributing a dozen copies to the jury and giving the final one to Danny, who shook his head. Pearson looked surprised, and even wondered ifCartwright couldn't read. Something he'd follow up once he had him in the witness box.
    "As you see, Miss Wilson, this is a copy of the
Bethnal Green and Bow Gazette
, in which there is a report of a knife fight that took place in the playground of Clement Attlee Comprehensive on February twelfth 1986, after which Daniel Cartwright was questioned by the police."
    "He was only trying to help," said Beth.
    "Getting to be a bit of a habit, isn't it?" suggested Pearson.
    "What do you mean?" demanded Beth.
    "Mr. Cartwright being involved in a knife fight, and then you saying he was 'only trying to help.' "
    "But the other boy ended up in Borstal."
    "And no doubt you hope that in this case it will be the other man who ends up in prison, rather than the person you are hoping to marry?"
    "Yes, I do."
    "I'm glad we have at least established that," said Pearson. "Perhaps you would be kind enough to read out to the court the third paragraph on the front page of the newspaper, the one that begins, 'Beth Wilson later told the police . . . '"
    Beth looked down at the paper. "Beth Wilson later told the police that Danny Cartwright had not been involved in the fight, but came to the aid of a classmate and probably saved his life."
    "Would you agree that that also sounds a little familiar, Miss Wilson?"
    "But Danny wasn't involved in the fight."
    "Then why was he expelled from the school?"
    "He wasn't. He was sent home while an inquiry was carried out."
    "In the course of which you gave a statement which cleared his name, and resulted in another boy being sent to Borstal." Beth once again lowered her head. "Let's return to the latest knife fight, when once again you were so conveniently on hand to come to your would-be boyfriend's rescue. Is it true," said Pearson, before Beth could respond, "that Cartwright was hoping to become the manager of Wilson's garage when your father retired?"
    "Yes, my dad had already told Danny that he was being lined up for the job."
    "But didn't you later discover that your father had changed his mind and told Cartwright that he intended to put your brother in charge of the garage?"
    "Yes, I did," said Beth, "but Bernie never wanted the job in the first place. He always accepted that Danny was the natural leader."
    "Possibly, but as it was the family business, wouldn't it have been understandable for your brother to feel resentful at being passed over?"
    "No, Bernie never wanted to be in charge of anything."
    "Then why did your brother say that night: 'And if you think I'm going to call you guv if you take over from my old man, you can forget it'?"
    "He didn't say
if
, Mr. Pearson, he said
when
. There's a world of difference."
    Alex Redmayne smiled.
    "Sadly, we only have your word for that, Miss Wilson, while there are three other witnesses who tell a completely different story."
    "They're all lying," said Beth, her voice rising.
    "And you're the only one who's telling the truth," responded Pearson.
    "Yes, I am."
    "Who does your father believe is telling the truth?" asked Pearson, suddenly changing tack.
    "M'lord," said Alex Redmayne, jumping to his feet, "such evidence would not only be hearsay but also can have no bearing on the case."
    "I agree with my learned friend," replied