Free The Snow Tiger / Night of Error by Bagley Desmond Page A

‘That’s what I think, too. Harrison said he’d take evidence in chronological order, and he’s doing just that. Now what happened after the mine meeting?’
    ‘We had the meeting with the town council.’
    ‘And what will Harrison ask me?’
    ‘He’ll ask if you were present during the whole of that meeting – and you’ll have to say no, because you left half way through. So?’
    ‘So I want to pick the next witness, and knowing how Harrison’s mind works, I think I can swing it.’
    ‘Who do you want for the next witness?’
    ‘Turi Buck,’ said McGill. ‘I want to get on record the history of Hukahoronui just to ram things home. I want to get on record the sheer stupidity of that goddam town council.’
    Ballard looked broodingly into his glass. ‘I don’t like doing that to Turi. It might hurt.’
    ‘He wants to do it. He’s already put himself forward as a voluntary witness. He’s staying with his sister here in Christchurch; we’ll pick him up tomorrow morning.’
    ‘All right.’
    ‘Now, look, Ian. Turi is an old man and may be likely to become confused under hostile cross-examination. We’ve got to make sure that the right questions are asked in the right order. We’ve got to cover the ground so thoroughly that no one – not Lyall nor Rickman – can find a loophole.’
    ‘I’ll make out a list of questions for Rickman,’ said Ballard.
    McGill rolled his eyes skyward. ‘Can’t you get it into your thick skull that if Rickman questions Turi it will be in a hostile manner.’
    Ballard said sharply, ‘Rickman is representing me and he’ll follow my instructions.’
    ‘And if he doesn’t?’
    ‘If he doesn’t then I’ll know you’re right – and that will free me completely. We’ll see.’ He drained his glass. ‘I feel sticky; I’m going to have a shower.’
    As they left the bar McGill said, ‘About that cablegram. You’re not going back, are you?’
    ‘You mean running home to Mamma?’ Ballard grinned. ‘Not while Harrison is Chairman of the Commission. I doubt if even my mother could win against Harrison.’
    ‘Your mother isn’t Jewish, is she?’ asked McGill curiously.
    ‘No. Why do you ask?’
    ‘Oh, it’s just that Jewish mothers are popularly supposed to be strong-willed. But I think that your mother could give a Jewish mother points and still win.’
    ‘It’s not a matter of a strong will,’ said Ballard soberly. ‘It’s just straightforward moral blackmail.’

THE HEARING

SECOND DAY

SEVEN
    McGill and Ballard found Turi Buck waiting outside his sister’s home at nine-thirty next morning. Although it was still early the weather showed signs of becoming oppressively hot. Ballard leaned over to open the back door of the car, and said, ‘Jump in, Turi.’
    ‘I’m past jumping anywhere, Ian,’ said Turi wryly, ‘But I’ll endeavour to accommodate myself in this seat.’
    Sometimes Turi’s phrases had an oddly old-fashioned ring about them. Ballard knew he had never been formally educated but had read a lot, and he suspected that Sir Walter Scott was responsible for some of the more courtly expressions.
    ‘It’s good of you to come, Turi.’
    ‘I had to come, Ian.’
    In the Provincial Chamber, at precisely ten o’clock, Harrison tapped the top of the rostrum gently with his gavel, and said, ‘We are now prepared to resume the inquiry into the avalanche disaster at Hukahoronui. Dr McGill was giving evidence. Will you please resume your seat?’
    McGill walked to the witness chair and sat down. Harrison said, ‘Yesterday you referred to a meeting of the mine management at which you presented a report. What happened at that meeting?’
    McGill tugged at his ear thoughtfully. ‘The problem was to explain the evidence and to get them to accept it. Mr Ballard had already accepted it. Mr Cameron wanted to go through the figures in detail, but he came around in the end. The others weren’t as convinced. It went like this …’
    It was Cameron,