The Trial Of Cicely Selby

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 67, Issue 235, 17 July 1947, Page 7

The Trial Of Cicely Selby

THE ACCUSED IN THE BOX

Serial Story.

By ALLYN SLOAN.

(Copyright).

CHAPTER XXIII.

Cicely stood up and, still escorted by the two wardresses left the dock. She walked in a dazed fashion, looking neither right nor left, seemingly unaware of the interest she was causing. Later she could never remember how she had crossed the court. After she had taken the oath, Mr Justice' Warfield leaned towards her.

“You may give your evidence seated- if you wish, Miss Selby.” “Thank you, my lord.” Gratefully Cicely sank down, for her knees felt very strange. Then she lifted her eyes and met Rand’s. Throughout his examination they never left his face. To answer him truly and clearly and to shut out those others as far as possible was her only desire. In a low, melodious voice Sir John opened the defence. “Miss Selby, you realise that you -are on oath?” . i

“Yes.” Feeling her reply to be scarcely audible, she nodded. 0 “Very.well. Did you kill Sebastian Mendez?” ' * | “No!” This time her voice was firm. > “Were you in any way instrumental in killing him?” “No!” • «• l “Thank you.” Rand smiled as if to convey that he at least was satisfied. He then put the usual questions relating to her age and residence, ending by telling her to account in her own words for her actions on the afternoon, evening and night of September 25.

At first falteringly, but more clearly as she became accustomed to her own voice, Cicely obeyed. She had been all through it before and her answers came quickly and with certitude. <

“On what terms were you with Seb astian Mendez?” ’»

“I knew him very slightly.” “Yet* you had been to his flat?”

“Only twice, to parties, and never alone. The first time with a friend and again with a party.” She had not cared for these affairs much. No, she had not heard of anyone obtaining drugs at them. She had never taken drugs herself. She acknowledged having owned a revolver, her father's, but it was a long time since'she had seen it. About a year ago it had been in a drawer iri the hall of the flat. Since, she had forgotten its existence. She- could not account for its disappearence.

Rand’s questions poured on, evenly, clearly; almost Cicely was lulled into thinking that things wei’e going well, better than she had dared to hope. Then abruptly, Rand sat down and Sir Derek rose. An audible sigh rustled through the court. Word went, round outside that Miss Selby was in the witness box, and yet a few more barristers tried to push their way in. Cicely’s fingers rolled her handkerchief into a ball in the palm of her hand. It seemed to her an age before Sir Derek put his first question. “Miss Selby, you told my learned friend in his examination that you never went, to the flat of Sebastian Mendez alone, is that so ?” - “Yes.”

* “Yet you heard the testimony given by the caretaker at Hatfield House? She said that she had seen you go up more than once to the second floor. How do you account for that?”

“It wasn’t trifle. I only went there twice and both times in company.” “It is strange then that Mrs Brown saw you on several occasions?” Sir Derek’s head cocked itself to one side. “Strange, yes, because I wasn’t there,” the girl replied. There was something in this man’s voice which riled her, an edge which cut through her patience like a sword. “But your handkerchief was,” Leeson smiled tauntingly. “Now, how d’you account for that?” i

“I can’t.” “It could hardly have walked or flown, could it?” Cicely was silent. Even faster her fingers knotted the cambric ball in her palm. , “No, of course it couldn’t. It was taken. By the way—” Sir Derek leaned forward politely—“you do acknowledge that it’s yours, don’t you?” “I —I had some like it.”

“Oh, best make sure then. Hand Exhibit No. 1 to the prisoner. Just look at it well. You are sure that you had some handkerchiefs like it-, aren’t you?” Cicely braced herself. The horrible now a deep brown, whs passed to her. Hideous sensations made themselves felt, but with all the control of which she was capable, she touched the rag, turned it and glanced at the 'initials. Both the Counsel for the Prosecution and for the Defence watched her intently as with evident, repugnance she examined the. handkerchief. “My God, if she’d' only faint,” feverently prayed Rand. Cicely did not oblige, however, although only a a supreme effort did she control herself. ,

“Y-yes,” slie swallowed. “It —it’s like some ! had.”

“Ah, initial and all. And you insist that you do not know how that, handkerchief came to be in Don Sebastian’s flat?” “Yes. I couldn’t know. I wasn’t there,” Cicely’s voice was loud and harsh. i

“Yes, so you say, but —” “I wasn’t, I tell you. How dare you

s-say—” Mr Justice Warfield leaned over.

“Miss Selby, you must not shout. Answer Counsel’s questions quietly.” A titter round through the court, whisperings and movements of discomfort. !

Rand’s eyes were fixed upon the jury. Had they enough imagination to understand the feelings of the girl in the box? That woman there, with the faded face and greasy nose, or the other, sleek one, did they even guess what it was like to stand up there and have the heart and soul torn out of you? He glanced at Cicely. She looked deadly white. Strain, fear and that handkerchief, he supposed, but if she was worked up already—Heavens!

“You heard Superintendent Garstin’s evidence, Miss Selby. Was he correct in saying that you seemed completely overcome on being shown your handkerchief?” Cicely nodded.

“It was silly, but I never could look at —at blood without feeling faint.” “You seemed to manage it quite nicely just now,” Sir Derek told her smoothly. “Yes, but 'it was old.” Counsel leaned forward.

“I see. You mean that you had collapsed at the sight of that handkerchief because the blood on it was fresh?” .

Cicely r.odded. “Yes.”* Like a whip Leeson was upon her.

“I suggest to you, Miss Selby, that it was a sense of guilt or fear which turned you faint, not —” “My lord!” Rand was up on'his feet and a world of protest in his voice. “Must we endure these imputations?” The Judge smiled acidly.

“Sir Derek, the inability to see blood without becoming ill is a common weakness. I think you must let that pass.”

“Thank you, m’lord.”’ Rand sat down again. At least he had saved Cicely another outburst. But he saw that she was quivering like a nervous horse beneath the whip. A few more questions, then a pause. Before she had finished Cicely learned to dread those pauses. They usually presaged something devilish. “This revolver —your father’s and kept for self-defence, you said —why? Were you expecting to be attacked?” “No, but I thought it might come in. I lived alone.”

“How many chambers Were loaded?”

“It wasn’t loaded at all.”

“Come, Miss Selby, do you remember that you are on oath,” Sir Derek sneered. “You can’t expect us to believe that you kept an unloaded revolver for purposes of self-defence.” “I didn’t keep it only for that. 1 kept it because it was my father’s,” Cicely insisted. “I see.. Sentiment cum self-defence. But a poker would be as good and save a licence. Had you one, by the way?” >

Cicely shook her head. The atmosphere in court was as thick as cheese, and she felt appallipgly tired. Would it never end ?

“And you kept this revolver in a drawer in a chest in the hall? And for a year or nearly you did not see it? Did you never use or tidy your drawers? And yet you never saw the revolver?”

“I never thought of it after putting it there. I don’t remember ever seeing it again.” “And did it, like your handkerchief, just walk?” „ Cicely clenched her hands and was silent. The revolver was passed to her.

“Would you say that that was your revolver?”

She held the weapon and stared at it. It looked as far as; she could remember, like her father’s, but knowing little about revolvers it might easily differ in some small technical point.

“I don’t know,” she said. Sir Derek’s disbelief was patent. “Do you mean to say that this precious thing which you say you kept because it was your father’s meant so little to you that you did not even know what it looked like?” Exasperatedly Cicely flung back: “It looked like that, but I don’t know if it was the same. There must be hundreds like it.”

“Oh, it looked like this?” Leeson caught her up iquickly. “But you will not say that it is yours?” “No. I don’t see how it could be.” After a few more questions on the subject the court adjourned. In the little room-below Sir John came to Cicely. t

“I’m. afraid I’m awfully had,” she apologised with a faint smile. “I simply can’t hear it when he keeps on suggesting that I’m lying. How can I make them believe roe? How?” Rand’s heart smote*him at the sight of her tired face, and he knew not what ±o say. The same problem confronted him. Somehow he had to make the jury believe him, although he had no proof to support his word. No proof at all. * * * * » The atmosphere in court was tense when the next morning the trial was resumed. McCrae, who was in his place again, saw that Cicely looked tired and drawn when she stepped into the witness box, and.her voice when she answered Counsel’s questions was flat, as. if all the'hope had gone out of her. <

Indeed, after a wakeful night the girl felt half dead. Through the cold dark hours she had tossed upon her narrow bed almost frantically seeking the sleep which she so badly needed, but it had flown from her or worse, had tantalised her with short snatches of dream-ridden oblivion. In the prison van all the way down from Holloway, dark thoughts had haunted her. Even the wardress had tried to rally her, but she sat there repeating dully: “They won’t believe me. They won’t believe me.” Rand also had gone late to. bed. With his hands plunged deep in his pockets and hatless, he had walked for hours through the silent streets seeking inspiration. There was something wrong with this case, horribly wrong. The girl was innocent yet she was going to be convicted unless he could discover something fresh. There must be a link. ; . He thought again of Jill and dismissed her. But it might have been some other person. .. .it must have been, but who, and how to find them?

(To be Continued.)

The characters in this story are entirely imaginary. No reference is intended to any living person or to any public or private company.