Free The Hanging Tree by Geraldine Evans Page B

Rafferty
felt compelled to remark, 'I'm not sure Stubbs, for one, would agree with you. And
even if his emotions had reached the cold ashes stage, he's got all the time in
the world to rake them over. And as for the victims and their families, who
knows if some new tragedy affected one of them? Something related to the
original crime, something they might consider directly attributable to Smith;
then the flames of passion might rise from the ashes. Events like rape do tend
to bring on other tragedies in a family - sometimes years after the event -
look at Frank Massey, for one.'
    Tragedies like nervous collapse, and divorce - broken families and
broken lives. Rape often cast a long, lingering painful shadow among the
victims and their families, as Rafferty knew. Particularly when the victim was
a child. Particularly when, as in the Smith case, the physical rape had been
followed by judicial rape.
    Rafferty squinted at his watch as the car passed under a street lamp. It
was after six. No wonder he was hungry; he hadn't eaten since breakfast.
    'Get onto the station, will you, Dafyd? Get Beard to make an appointment
for tomorrow for us to see Mrs Nye of the Rape Support Group. He's likely to
find her at that refuge she founded in St Boniface Road. If any of her group
sent that 'outing' letter, she might be willing to drop a hint as to which of
her group could be responsible.'
    Although the names of the more militant feminists in the Rape Support
Group and similar organisations were well known to the police, Rafferty felt he
had to tread cautiously, wary of accusations of police harassment. He had no
proof that any members of the local RSP were responsible for the 'outing'
threats that had occurred recently in the town. But he'd always found Mrs Nye a
reasonable woman. He didn't believe she would condone 'outing'. If she harboured
any suspicions against her more hot-headed colleagues, he felt he would be able
to persuade her to reveal them.
    He broke into Llewellyn's transmission. 'Get Beard to make an
appointment with Elizabeth Probyn while he's at it. I'd be interested to see
what she remembers of the case. Tomorrow's Saturday, so she won't be able to
fob us off with excuses about being in court. Oh, and ask him to get me a
couple of rolls from the canteen before the lovely Opal goes home.' Llewellyn
gave the message and replaced the microphone.
    Rafferty had no doubt that fobbing them off would be Elizabeth Probyn's
first instinct. She wouldn't enjoy discussing her early, spectacular failure;
particularly with him. She was one of those coolly distant prosecutors with
whom he could find no common ground. He had little doubt she would find the
interview humiliating.
    And you, Rafferty? his conscience prodded. What will you find it? Enjoyable?
Maybe you'll crow a little? Rub her nose in it, will you?
    Rafferty denied it. Unfortunately, his lapsed Catholic conscience, privy
to his every thought, word and deed, was well aware that Elizabeth Probyn was
not his favourite person. She had subjected him to several humiliations over
the years. She must have learned quickly from that early failure, he now
surmised, because he'd never had cause to reign her back in a case. On the
contrary, unlike Stubbs's experience of her, with him, she seemed to delight in
refusing to take on the prosecution of cases for which she felt the police had
provided insufficient evidence. Going to take the opportunity to get your own
back? his conscience probed again.
    'Oh, shut up!' Rafferty growled.
    'Sir?' Llewellyn's head jerked towards him, bewilderment evident. Hardly
surprising, of course, as the Welshman had been innocently gazing out the
window when Rafferty made his outburst.
    'Nothing,' Rafferty mumbled. 'I'm just having an internal argument. Take
no notice.'
     
     

CHAPTER SIX
     
    Rafferty found Mrs ffinch-Robinson waiting for him when he got back to
the station. She wore an air of vindicated self-righteousness — everything she
had said having