Chapter 55
Means. Motive. Opportunity. Mr Alexander paints a convincing picture in his closing speech.
‘Forget the smoke and mirrors,’ he says.
‘Forget the talk about the paranormal, about witchcraft. It was simply a vehicle for the campaign of bullying which you have heard from several witnesses was carried out by Isobel and Eliza, culminating in their final act, the lunging at Christian with the knife, the attempt to pin her down from which she had to escape. This caused her to believe she was about to be attacked and precipitated the fatal heart attack. Legally speaking, this is enough on its own. It’s established in Scots law that a situation like this equals murder.
It doesn’t even matter which girl you think was brandishing the knife – the prosecution say that both Isobel and Eliza were in this together.
’ He pauses as if for effect. ‘It makes no difference either whether you believe the girls knew about Christian’s heart condition, or not.
Perpetrators must take their victims as they find them.
It does not, in fact, matter whether there was a pre-existing heart condition at all.
The prosecution case is that either Eliza or Isobel, acting together, were so threatening towards Christian with that knife that they scared her into a heart attack. ’
Matthew feels a sense of relief at this.
The issue he has with the post-mortem is still unresolved.
Whichever way he looks at the photos, at the report, he’s nagged anew by the sense that something’s wrong with the picture.
But it doesn’t matter now. Even if Marianne had full-blown Munchausen’s by Proxy and was lying through her teeth all through Christian’s short life, it’s irrelevant now.
Mr Alexander continues. ‘However, it is also the prosecution case that Isobel and Eliza did know. They were made aware by two separate people that their unkindness was having a direct impact on the health of Christian and could cause serious illness. With that knowledge, the girls made a conscious decision not just to continue their campaign of psychological torture, but to intensify it, resulting in the terrifying events on the morning of May Day which caused Christian to flee and gave her the heart attack that killed her. It’s as simple as that. ’
There’s more to it, of course, but that’s the gist of it as far as Matthew is concerned. He’s doing his best to concentrate but his mind is flipping this way and that.
‘You may think that Isobel is not fit to plead, given her assertions throughout that every incident that took place concerning her and the victim was of supernatural origin. You may think due to this that she should be considered to have had diminished responsibility at the time of the offence. This is not the case that is being put forward on her behalf. Nor is it a finding that is supported by any psychiatric evidence either at the time or from the psychiatrist from whom you heard evidence in court. This can leave you with the conclusion only that she is lying, members of the jury, in her attempts to minimise her involvement.’
Not mad at all then. Just bad.
Or the impossible. It’s true.
Matthew knows the evidence doesn’t add up. But his gut tells him otherwise.
Mr Alexander turns his attentions to Eliza.
‘You may take the view that Eliza was less culpable in these matters than Isobel. It was the evidence of Mr and Mrs Shaw that they told Isobel of Christian’s heart condition, after all.
But I would invite you to find that under the principle of art and part, Eliza is as culpable as Isobel in this campaign of bullying designed to cause harm.
They were both in it together. Whichever of them wielded the knife in the last, fatal encounter. ’
Eliza was as bad as Isobel, in other words. Matthew looks from one girl to the other. He knows which one looks more guilty. He knows that this is what the jury is going to think, too.
Miss Brodie’s closing speech takes an even shorter amount of time.
It was all Isobel’s fault. Eliza had nothing to do with it.
Sasha is lying. So is Isobel. Isobel was the one with the knife, not her.
There’s no evidence to suggest that she was made directly aware of Christian’s heart condition and the case should never have been brought against her.
She’s more sinned against than sinning and should be fully exonerated.
It’s a tragedy and Eliza needs to be seen as another victim of Isobel’s machinations.
Isobel stands up briefly to say that the court has heard what she had to say.
She can’t make anyone believe her, but witchcraft is true.
The psychic world is real. She didn’t make anything happen to Christian – she was simply a conduit of information that very sadly turned out to be true.
She did nothing to contribute to Christian’s death.
The prediction was real, Christian’s fate predestined regardless of any action taken by Isobel – she had just wanted to ease her friend over into the next life as had been ordained.
It might be more convenient to dismiss it as nonsense and to say that she is lying, but Isobel owns the fact that she is a witch with magical powers – is proud to be a witch with magical powers.
As far as the day in question is concerned, it was Eliza who had the knife.
Eliza who actively hated Christian. Eliza who was wanting to kill the girl.
Not Isobel’s fault.
Days of evidence have been reduced to less than two hours. Matthew can hardly believe that they’ve got to this point. Even though there’s still half an hour to go before lunch, the judge tells them to go away and have a good meal before coming back to listen to her summing-up.
Matthew should know what he thinks. He still doesn’t, though.
The speeches have been compelling from both Mr Alexander and Miss Brodie.
So many different people could be lying – so many different truths.
He thinks about what Gill said, that the jury can come to whatever verdict they choose according to their conscience.
It doesn’t help. He hasn’t the first idea what his conscience is telling him.
It’s a sunny day. He can’t bear the idea of being cooped up in the jury room so he sets off at a brisk walk, making sure to avoid Gill on the way out.
No more conversation – not right now. He needs time, space.
If he’s quick about it, he can get to the top of Arthur’s Seat, look at the spot where Sasha tried to take her life.
Where the coffins were found. It might help to focus his mind.