Free Chickenfeed by Minette Walters Page A

second post-mortem and was willing to say he’d found rope marks on Elsie’s neck. He would also argue that ‘death by shock’ should not result in a murder conviction. There was no evidence that Elsie’s death was intended. Nor that a collapse could have been predicted.
    But Dr Brontë enjoyed none of Spilsbury’s fame and the jury was less likely to believe him. Spilsbury had been the crown expert witness on every famous murder trial since 1910. His word alone could swing a jury.
    The defence team felt that only Norman’s father could make him understand how serious his position was. To this end, Mr Thorne was given leave to speak to his son in Lewes Prison the day before the trial. He was shown to a room on the ground floor of the remand wing.
    ‘Bearing up all right?’ he asked when Norman was brought in.
    They shook hands. ‘Pretty much. It’s good to see you, Dad.’
    He looked so young, thought Mr Thorne. Just a boy still. ‘Sit down, son. Your barrister, Mr Cassels, has asked me to talk to you about the trial. We’re all praying for a not guilty verdict, but—’ He broke off. How could he tell his only child that he might hang?
    Norman reached across the table and gently stroked his father’s hand. ‘But the jury might believe this Spilsbury fellow?’
    Mr Thorne nodded.
    ‘Mr Cassels says they have to prove I meant to kill Elsie. But how can they do that if she died of shock? You can’t frighten someone to death.’
    ‘Spilsbury will argue that the bruises on her face show you hit her . . . and that her watch and glasses were broken during the attack. If she was in a bad way when you left her to meet Bessie, then the jury might feel you meant her to die.’
    ‘What about the rope marks that Dr Brontë found?’
    Mr Thorne sighed. ‘It’s only his opinion, Norman. Spilsbury will say there were no rope marks.’
    ‘But there were , Dad. I saw them when I cut the cord away from Elsie’s neck. I just don’t understand why they can’t tell she died from hanging. Doesn’t it show in your lungs if you can’t breathe?’
    ‘She may never have intended to kill herself. According to Dr Brontë, just drawing a noose round your neck can cause shock.’
    ‘That’s what Mr Cassels said. But I don’t understand why.’
    ‘It’s something called the vagal reflex. Some people are extremely sensitive to pressure on their necks. There’s a case of a woman who died within three seconds of her lover’s hand caressing her throat.’
    ‘But I found Elsie hanging, Dad. She meant to do it.’
    ‘Perhaps not. Perhaps it was a little piece of drama that went wrong.’
    Norman shook his head. ‘I still don’t understand.’
    ‘Dr Brontë thinks she was planning to frighten you. If she had the noose ready for when you came home . . . then stood on the chair when she heard the gate open—’ Mr Thorne broke off on another sigh. ‘Death by vagal reflex would have caused her to fall forward. That’s why you found her hanging.’
    Norman stared. ‘Are you saying it was an accident?’
    His father nodded. ‘It could have been. Which is why there were no marks on the beam. She wasn’t there long enough. Not if you cut her down as soon as you found her.’
    ‘I did,’ Norman said with sudden excitement. ‘Will the jury believe me? Will they believe Dr Brontë?’
    ‘Maybe . . . if we can prove she used threats of suicide to get her own way. We can certainly prove she was no stranger to play-acting. She told everyone she was pregnant. Even bought a baby’s dress to keep up the pretence.’
    ‘I told you she was lying, Dad. Her parents should have put her in a hospital. She wasn’t right in the head. She needed help.’
    ‘Two of her co-workers will say that in court, but whether anyone will believe them—’ Mr Thorne lapsed into a brief silence. ‘You should have gone to the police when you found her, Norman. Why didn’t you?’
    His son’s eyes grew bleak. ‘Because they wouldn’t have