(Jared's POV)
"I have considered the defence counsel's request for a further summation examination of the jury... ...and I have determined that the court must uphold the defence's judicial right to this procedure. So, Counsel...you will now proceed with your second summation examination. I presume the jury is ready, Mr Foreman?" The Judge asked.
"We are, My Lord." Juror No. 1 said.
"Very good. In that case, I must ask each of you now to state clearly and concisely for the court... ...the grounds on which you find the defendant guilty of this crime."
Judicial Findings
- The Jurors' Contentions -
"The accused left behind evidence at the scene, didn't he? Those three books of his." Juror No. 1 said.
"If there was some novel alternative explanation about how the victim was stabbed, I might reconsider…" Juror No. 2 said.
"Even if the woman was throwing books, it can't be related to this crime if the window was closed, can it?" Juror No. 3 asked.
"Dearie me, it was only a little book! Hardly life-threatening, even with a direct hit!" Juror No. 4 said.
"Look, I just want to get this over with. If I don't bring home some pay tonight, I'll be in a tidy bit of trouble." Juror No. 5 said.
"Come to think of it, we had a fire at home a while ago. It gave me the sneezes." Juror No. 6 said.
"Hm, yes...considerably more tangible arguments from all members of the jury this time around, it seems. ...With one notable exception, of course." The Judge said.
"My learned student friend was unable to find fault in the previous witness testimony." Van Zieks said.
"...!" Ryunosuke said, at a loss for words.
"So the court must accept the fact that it was indeed the accused seen fleeing from the scene. And moreover... ...no one else was even at the scene to commit the crime!"
"Well, if the eye witnesses are correct...it would seem as if the conclusion is somewhat set in stone. I fail to see how it can be argued any other way." The Judge said.
"...That means, I'm afraid, that during this summation examination... ...it's essential that you establish some other tangible explanation for the facts!" Susato said, worried.
"But how? What would even constitute a tangible explanation here?" Ryunosuke asked.
"...Isn't it obvious? Who stabbed the woman and how? Those two details are all you need provide. Simply give us a name and a method by which the attack was conducted." Van Zieks said.
"Um…" I said, while Ryunosuke thought this to himself. '...And there I was thinking this might be hard.'
"But Mr Naruhodo, you have to do it! Otherwise this really will be where the trial ends!" Susato cried.
"Yup. And the future is on the line for Japan's future history." I said, sadly. "Time can be rewritten by this very trial."
"Ugh, no pressure then…" Ryunosuke said, frowning.
"That's quite enough preamble. Proceed with the summation examination, please. I presume you are prepared, Counsel?" The Judge asked.
"Oh, yes! ...My Lord." Ryunosuke said, as he thought this to himself. 'Alright, Ryunosuke, focus your mind now... Clearly, the key to this summation examination... ...is going to be juror number four, the maid. Or should I say, Mrs Garrideb?'
"We have a book that disappeared from the Garridebs' house on the evening of the incident... ...and the fourth book found in the victim's hand." Susato said.
"There must be a way to link the two. Yes, that's what we have to find…" Ryunosuke said, and he thought this to himself. '...using every technique I've learnt in my short career so far! Whatever it takes!'
"Don't forget to keep an eye on Mrs Garrideb and how she reacts...even to the things other people say!"
Jury Examination
- The Defence's Rebuttal -
"The accused left behind evidence at the scene, didn't he? Those three books of his." Juror No. 1 said.
"If there was some novel alternative explanation about how the victim was stabbed, I might reconsider…" Juror No. 2 said.
"Even if the woman was throwing books, it can't be related to this crime if the window was closed, can it?" Juror No. 3 asked.
"Dearie me, it was only a little book! Hardly life-threatening, even with a direct hit!" Juror No. 4 said.
"Look, I just want to get this over with. If I don't bring home some pay tonight, I'll be in a tidy bit of trouble." Juror No. 5 said.
"Press for more information here." I said, looking down at the floor.
"Hold it." Ryunosuke said, doing the Hold it pose. "You just want to 'get this over with'? How can you sit there and say something like that? A man's future is at stake here!"
"Well him and me both then, like I said before!" Juror No. 5 yelled.
"What?" Ryunosuke asked.
"I told you already. I'm a day labourer, aren't I? If I don't bring home some readies with me tonight... ...you'll find me floating face down in the Thames tomorrow morning."
"What?!"
"You heard me! My missus isn't one to mess about, you know. She can be fierce, believe you me!"
"Oh." I said, while Ryunosuke thought this to himself. '...Another shining example of marital bliss, then.'
"A situation like this cropped up the other day. It was...well...um... ... D'you know, it's funny, but I can't quite remember." Juror No. 5 said.
"Sorry?" Ryunosuke asked.
"It was too frightening, that's the thing. I must have blocked it out."
"Talk about helpful." I said, as Ryunosuke thought this to himself. 'Helpful…'
"I wonder if Mr Beate will ever be dragged into the Thames by his scarf…" Susato said, letting out a sigh.
"...Don't even go there, Miss Susato." Ryunosuke said, as he thought this to himself. 'There must be some way to jog his memory about this.'
"Come to think of it, we had a fire at home a while ago. It gave me the sneezes." Juror No. 6 said.
"Press here." I said, rolling my eyes.
"Hold it." Ryunosuke said, doing the Hold it pose. "Does...that have anything to do with your decision about the defendant's culpability in this case?"
"Sorry? What's that? You'll have to speak up, lad." Juror No. 6 said.
"... Could you tell us more about that fire?" Ryunosuke asked.
"It was last winter. My grandchildren baked me a lovely cake on my birthday. It had seventy-five candles on the top, it did! What a sight to behold it was!"
"You put candles...on a cake?! Was, was it some kind of devil-worship?"
"Of course not! It was an angel cake! To celebrate my birthday, obviously!"
"It seems that's a common custom here in Great Britain, Mr Naruhodo." Susato said.
"And it won't reach Japan until the 1950s. Birthday parties and birthday cakes." I said, sadly. "For custom birthdays. But that's not important right now."
"Anyway, I mustered all my puff to blow them out... ...only I must have blown wrong somehow. The flames didn't go out, but candles went flying all over the room! The furniture caught and everything went up! The whole place filled with smoke!" Juror No. 6 cried.
'...Definitely sounds like devil-worship to me.' Ryunosuke said, thinking that to himself, before speaking aloud. "And...by 'the sneezes', I presume you mean a cold. But how did you catch a cold from a fire?"
"What a fiasco it was. The grandchildren, bless them, threw water over me as they tried to put out the flames. And then, because the whole room had filled up with smoke of course... ...we had to open all the windows to clear it."
"The windows…"
"The biting winter air rushed over me like the devil dancing on my grave, it did! I caught a terrible cold from it. It put me in hospital for a while. ...I won't forget that birthday in a hurry!"
"...I knew it was devil-worship all along." Ryunosuke said, while he thought this to himself. 'But something about this old man's story is playing on my mind for some reason…'
"Winter house fires are dire. You have to open windows to clear the smoke. That's when the chill gets you, see." Juror No. 6 said.
"Press for more information here." I said, clutching the strap of my sling bag.
"Hold it." Ryunosuke said, doing the Hold it pose. "...Um, did you change your statement from before?"
"Well, yes. It was one of my most memorable birthdays, you see. I couldn't let it go unremembered." Juror No. 6 said.
'...I'm sure the defendant will be delighted that you're using his trial to explore your past.' Ryunosuke said, thinking that to himself, before speaking aloud. "And how is that memory related to this case exactly?"
"Hm? Sorry? What's that? You'll have to speak up, I'm afraid!"
"...Never mind." Ryunosuke said, as he thought this to himself. 'He's as deaf as a post...when he wants to be. ...But actually, this old man's anecdote... ...might just provide the alternative explanation I need to make my point to some of the other jurors.'
"We used unlit candles on my birthday this year. It's safer that way." Juror No. 6 said.
"It contradicts Juror No. 3." I said, frowning.
"Objection." Ryunosuke said, doing the Objection pose. "These two jurors' statements clearly contradict one another!"
"They do? How exactly, Counsel?" The Judge asked.
"Don't point at me again! I told you, it wasn't me!" Juror No. 3 said, terrified.
"Hm? What's that you say? Speak up, lad, speak up!" Juror No. 6 said, angrily.
"Juror number three! Do you see?" Ryunosuke asked.
"Oh! Me? See, see what, sir?" Juror No. 3 asked.
"Did you hear juror number six's account of his birthday celebrations last year? It seems, despite being a Londoner, he once opened his windows in the middle of winter."
"Well yes, of course. Because it was an emergency. I mean, obviously, if the room was filled with smoke from a fire, then you'd be mad not...to open the... ... Oh!"
"Exactly. On the day in question, at the time of the incident, there was a fire in the Garrideb household. And Mr Garrideb had the following to say about it: 'The whole place filled with smoke.'"
"On my hat!"
"And that caught Joan Garrideb's attention." I said, happily.
"'Scuse me!" Ryunosuke said, looking at Mrs. Garrideb. "Juror number four! Do you have something to say about that?"
"..." Juror No. 4 said.
"Mrs Garrideb!" Ryunosuke yelled.
"Oh dearie me! What is the meaning of this? How dare you imply that I'm hiding who I really am!"
"It's imperative that you confirm something for the court. So please, it's time to drop the pretence now."
"Wh-What is it?"
"When the fire started in your house that day, did you or your husband open the window?"
"Wha...? I, I beg your pardon? What are you insinuating?!" Juror No. 4 exclaimed.
"The room would have been thick with smoke after the carpet and bookcase caught fire as they did. In a situation like that...it's inconceivable that you wouldn't have opened the window!" Ryunosuke said, angrily.
"... And what if we did?"
"...!"
"Oh, alright then. ...Yes, you're right. My husband was frantically trying to open the window. Which can't have been easy, since I continued to give him a justly deserved book battering."
"...Even though your house was on fire?"
"Oh, you never stop throwing until the anger subsides. It would be terribly bad for the nerves to do otherwise."
"...Of course. I should have realised." Ryunosuke said, his eyes widening.
"That's a significant step forward, Mr Naruhodo. You've managed to establish that the window was open. We simply must have that added to Mrs Garrideb's formal statement." Susato said.
"The window could have been open when the woman was throwing books. I mean, it's definitely a possibility." Juror No. 3 said.
"Press for more info." I said, smiling.
"Hold it." Ryunosuke said, doing the Hold it pose. "At the point when the victim was attacked on Briar Road... ...we know there was a small house fire in the Garrideb household on the opposite side of the street."
"Well yes, it certainly seems that way. And on account of the smoke, I imagine they would have had the windows wide open in spite of the cold." Juror No. 3 said.
"Now you mention it, yes, the window was open at the time. I'd clean forgotten, but it's true." Juror No. 4 said.
"Press for more info here." I said, sadly.
"Hold it." Ryunosuke said, doing the Hold it pose. "The fourth book found at the scene of the crime shows very obvious signs of fire damage. And the title of the book...is 'The Lion's Pride'. The same title, in fact, as the book that Mr Garrideb told us he had been reading."
"... Well, I really couldn't say." Juror No. 4 said, frowning.
"On the day in question, did you or did you not throw at your husband... ...the copy of 'The Lion's Pride' that he had been reading?" Ryunosuke asked.
"... I did."
"...!"
"It was the first thing I could lay my hands on. So I hurled it straight at him! And now you come to mention it, yes... ...he was rather enjoying reading it, you're right."
"Why did you not reveal this information to the court from the outset?"
"Because I couldn't, you insolent little man! I didn't remember! At times like that, you pick up and throw whatever you can lay your hands on, as well you know!"
"...I really don't." Ryunosuke said, letting out a sigh.
"I barely noticed I was throwing a book, much less the title of it!" Juror No. 4 said, scoffing.
"If there was some novel alternative explanation about how the victim was stabbed, I might reconsider…" Juror No. 2 said.
"Contradicts Juror No. 5." I said, placing my arm on the table.
"Objection." Ryunosuke said, doing the Objection pose. "These two statements clearly have a deeply significant connection!"
"Good grief! You mean they don't contradict each other? Explain, Counsel! At once!" The Judge said, angrily.
"Juror number two...do you think perhaps... ...that this could be one such novel alternative?" Ryunosuke asked.
"Oh my! Whatever do you mean?" Juror No. 2 asked.
"An alternative explanation...as to how the victim was stabbed in the back."
"What are you talking about?" Juror No. 5 asked.
"We've demonstrated that the fourth book - 'The Lion's Pride' - that was found at the scene of the crime... ...originated in Mr Garrideb's room on the top floor of his house. Therefore it's equally possible that some other object besides the book... ...could have found its way from the Garrideb household to the street below." Ryunosuke said.
"Eh? What's that now?"
"After all, Mrs Garrideb could have thrown any number of different objects at her husband. ...Isn't that right, juror number four?"
"What are you insinuating now, you...you little beanpole?!" Juror No. 4 exclaimed.
"Penny in the air." I said, and Ryunosuke thought this to himself. 'I'm beginning to think that...ever since the true origins of this book came to light... ...perhaps she's had a feeling this might be what happened.'
"Now you listen here, you Eastern galah! As the foreman of this jury, I demand a straight answer. You give us this yarn about some other object making its way out of the house...but what? What was it?" Juror No. 1 asked.
"..." Ryunosuke said, while he thought this to himself. 'I'm really taking a big gamble here. That was a bold accusation to make...but I haven't any real evidence to back it up. But I'm certain...that at the very least this warrants further investigation.' He then spoke aloud. "Alright, Mr Foreman, I'll try to explain the defence's theory. The 'other object' that found its way from the Garrideb household to the scene of the crime was…"
"This." I said, passing Ryunosuke the Jackknife.
"Take that!" Ryunosuke said, presenting the Jackknife. "... Juror number four...Mrs Garrideb…"
"Wha...? What now?!" Juror No 4 exclaimed.
"I must apologise in advance for this... ...but I need you to confirm something else for the court. This knife... Have you ever seen this knife before?" Ryunosuke asked, holding up the Jackknife.
"Ah…"
"Good Lord, Counsel! What on earth are you doing? That's the weapon that was lodged into the victim's back, man!" The Judge said, worried.
"My Lord, remember that when the victim was attacked, Mr and Mrs Garrideb were in the throes of an argument. Mrs Garrideb was hurling anything she could at her husband, who'd been backed up against the window. A window that had been opened to clear the smoke...and through which a book sailed to land at the crime scene." Ryunosuke said.
"You can't seriously believe that! The book...was found in the victim's grasp!" Juror No. 1 said, terrified.
"Are you saying that it flew out of the window and across the street to land neatly in her hand?" Juror No. 3 asked.
"Huh! Even my missus hasn't got an aim like that!" Juror No. 5 cried.
"Yes, I admit...there are many details we don't yet understand. But that's the point! That's precisely why... ...we must not allow this trial to end! Not right now!" Ryunosuke said, angrily.
"Oh my!" Juror No. 2 said.
"Agh!" Juror No. 6 said, annoyed.
"Mrs Garrideb, your answer, please! Have you seen this knife before or not?" Ryunosuke asked.
"... ...Oh! Ah...um... AAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!!!" Juror No. 4 said, breaking down.
*Thud*
"My Lord!" Juror No. 2 said. "I, I wish to change my decision! ...I'm a woman of my word, after all."
"Thank you, madam!" Ryunosuke said, excitedly.
"Yes, I agree. I certainly didn't see this coming, but... ...I just don't think it would be right for this trial to come to an end now with so many unanswered questions." Juror No. 1 said.
"Mr Foreman!"
"... I'd have to agree. Not that I think the granny did it, mind." Juror No. 5 said.
"...Yes, you know what? I'm not quite happy about this at the moment, either." Juror No. 3 said.
"All together now, ladies and gents…" Juror No. 1 said.
4 of the jury voted not guilty, causing the scales to lean towards white.
"We... We...did it…" Ryunosuke said, letting out a sigh.
"Oh, congratulations, Mr Naruhodo!" Susato cheered.
"So, as a result of the defence's summation examination, a number of jurors' leanings have changed. Two jurors call guilty, against four now calling innocent. Accordingly, the opinion of this court is divided... ...and this trial will continue!" The Judge said, angrily.
"Yes." I said, happily. "Thank goodness."
"Now then, Lord van Zieks...how does the prosecution wish to proceed?" The Judge asked.
"...This trial is rapidly descending into a farce. Like a corked wine...the first few sips are bitter enough... ...but what follows is so repugnant, it's good for nothing save the gutter!" Van Zieks said.
"If, if I may, Lord van Zieks... ...the defence has just put forward a credible alternative explanation for what happened." Juror No. 1 said.
"Credible? Is that your considered opinion, Mr Foreman? The defence's argument is a joke to which I barely know how to respond. But let me start by insisting... ...that you must familiarise yourselves better with the relative positions of those places being discussed."
"What do you mean by that?" Ryunosuke asked, and he thought this to himself. '...What's his angle this time?'
"It should already be more than apparent, that between the crime scene and the Garrideb household... ...runs a rather wide street, Briar Road. Which means that the distance from the Garridebs' house to the scene is some... Yes, fifteen yards." Van Zieks said.
"Let me see... Fifteen yards... That's around fourteen metres." Susato said, looking down at her book.
"F-Fourteen metres?" Ryunosuke asked, as he thought this to himself. 'Oh. ...That's a little farther than I'd imagined.'
"And, as you ladies and gentlemen of the jury rightly noted as having portentous significance... ...the fourth book was found in the victim's clutches. In other words...the smouldering book, wantonly hurled by the lady of the house travelled some fifteen yards... ...to land on the opposite side of the road, neatly between the collapsed victim's fingers and thumb. ...Is that your final conclusion, my learned...and deluded friend?" Van Zieks asked.
"Ah! Um…" Ryunosuke said, sadly.
"And did the jackknife follow a near identical trajectory to plunge into the middle of the victim's back? This fantasy is somewhat stretching the notion of 'having a bad day' for the victim, I think. Even those pathetic serialised detective stories have more believable plots!"
"AAAAAAAAAGH!!! ..." Ryunosuke said, and he thought this to himself. 'There's nothing I can say to that…'
"And that's enough to piss off Susato." I said, letting out a sigh.
"That...that prosecutor loves the sound of his own voice!" Susato yelled.
"Miss Susato!" Ryunosuke cried.
"Serialised detective stories are pathetic, are they?! How dare he?!"
"Um... Maybe let's pick our battles here…"
"My Lord, might I be allowed to speak?" Susato asked.
"As judicial assistant, you may speak for the defence, yes. Go ahead." The Judge said.
"The prosecution may consider the idea a fantasy... ...but what the defence has postulated was believable enough to persuade the jury to change its leaning. And as such...the court has a duty to explore this alternative explanation as thoroughly as possible!"
"..." Van Zieks said.
"To that end... ... ...juror number four - Mrs Joan Garrideb...must be called to testify and submit to cross-examination!" Susato said, angrily.
"Saints alive! A cross-examination of a juror?! Ordaaar! Ordaaar! Ordaaaaaar!!! Well...this, this is highly irregular. It is unprecedented for a member of the jury to be summoned to the witness stand." The Judge said.
"Objection." Van Zieks said, doing the Objection pose. "And unnecessary."
"L-Lord van Zieks?"
"...!" Ryunosuke said, at a loss for words.
"There are already witnesses in the stand whose testimony the defence may further cross-examine. If my learned friend's farcical theory has any truth in it... ...then both a burning book and a jackknife must have flown through the sky before this couple's eyes. And we must assume they would be able to testify accordingly." Van Zieks said.
"Hmmm... What say you, witnesses?" The Judge asked.
"... Yes, SAH! Constable Roly Beate reporting for duty, sah!" Roly chirped.
"...!" Ryunosuke said, in awe.
"Well... Good morning, Officer." Van Zieks said, smiling.
"Sorry for dozing until now, sah! I haven't slept for a month, on account of a villain who's appeared on my beat, sah." Roly said.
"Oh, they are so heroic, these 'London bobbies'." Susato said.
"Patricia, my darling, I've been neglecting you. But no more!"
"Oh Roly, my hero! You make me swoon!" Patricia cooed.
"Very well. I hereby reject the defence's request…" The Judge said.
"Oh…" Susato said, letting out a sigh.
"...and order the witnesses in the stand to testify again. State forthwith before the court any details pertaining to the defence's alternative explanation of events." The Judge said.
"Yes...SAH!" Roly said.
Witness Testimony
- Constable Beate's Report -
"This case has nothing to do with Mr and Mrs Garrideb. Believe me, a London bobby is good for his word! You see - SAH! - the windows on the top floor of the Garrideb house are top-hinged casements." Roly said.
"Obviously, if anything had been thrown out of the window, we would have seen it. I did leave the scene to go and fetch help, but my trusty Roly was there to make sure nothing was disturbed." Patricia said.
"I didn't take my eye off the crime scene for one moment, sah! Nothing strange to report on that front, sah!"
"Well, this is quite startling. Top-hinged casement windows!" The Judge said.
"That detail was not in the police report, Constable." Van Zieks said.
"Ah, yes, um... Sorry about that. I...must have been a little drowsy... Ahem." Roly said.
"You cannot excuse your sins with drowsiness every time, Constable."
"No, SAH!"
"Um...sorry, but... ...what exactly is a top-hinged casement window?" Ryunosuke asked.
"And you... You cannot excuse your ignorance with such trite remarks, my learned friend." Van Zieks said.
"...Of course...sorry."
"I've found it, Mr Naruhodo! Cast your mind back to the windows in Mr and Mrs Garrideb's room…" Susato said.
"I also have a photo of one in the future." I said, while Ryunosuke thought this to himself. 'Alright, I'll try…'
"Take a look at this." I said, taking out my iPhone 15 Pro Max and loaded up a photo of a top-hinge casement window. "Here's one. Susato, explain how it works."
"Alright, Jared." Susato said. "So the window opens in order to allow air to circulate inside the house. But as it's a top-hinged casement window, it swings open along the upper edge, you see."
I placed my iPhone 15 Pro Max back inside my sling bag.
"I'm glad you've rectified your ignorance. A casement window's most prominent feature... ...is its 'stay' - a metal bar which prevents the window from being opened beyond a certain amount." Van Zieks said.
"It, it prevents it opening?" Ryunosuke asked, and he thought this to himself. 'This is all news to me!'
"Absolutely correct, sah! In other words, if a book or knife were to have been thrown through the open window... ...it would have clattered against the pane and fallen straight down to the pavement below." Roly said.
"No…" Ryunosuke said.
"You see the problem, then? Good...your education in windows is complete. There was never any possibility of either the book or the knife travelling fifteen yards over the road. That is, unless the window pane had been shattered... something we've discounted already." Van Zieks said.
"Th-That can't... BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!" Ryunosuke said, falling down to the floor.
"Did you see that, Roly? That young Japanese man just collapsed in agony!" Patricia said, worried.
"Oh yes, my darling. I saw it. I saw how he crumbled before me." Roly said.
"Oh, Roly! You're so strong!"
"Shit." I said, as Ryunosuke thought this to himself. 'How is this happening? I haven't even started the cross-examination yet, and already my argument's been destroyed.'
"Counsel, if you could drag yourself upright again...the court awaits your cross-examination." The Judge said.
"...My Lord." Ryunosuke said, and he thought this to himself. 'Oh good. Another desperate situation…'
Cross-Examination
- Constable Beate's Report -
"This case has nothing to do with Mr and Mrs Garrideb. Believe me, a London bobby is good for his word!" Roly said.
"Press for more info." I said, taking out a box of chocolate chip cookies to snack on them.
"Hold it." Ryunosuke said, doing the Hold it pose. "How can you say that for certain?"
"...A very good question, sah. And the answer...is this! It has the noble founding principles of the force written on it as a reminder to all us policemen of our sworn duty." Roly said.
"He showed us that before, didn't he?" Susato asked.
"...Did he?" Ryunosuke asked, while he thought this to himself. 'I can't say I remember.'
"To patrol the streets of London town and uphold the peace of the common man... It's what the job's all about! And that is why I can stand here today beside my long-suffering wife and tell you a bobby's good for his word! ...While rubbing my tired eyes admittedly...SAH!" Roly said, saluting.
"Oh, Roly...you're so manly!" Patricia cooed.
"Of course I am, my darling Patricia!"
"Oh, Pat…" Roly said, looking at Patricia.
"Oh, Roly…" Patricia said, looking at Roly.
"Oh, brother." I said, annoyed. "They really are worse than the Ponds."
"... No, none of this is what I meant. I meant, how can you say for certain that this case has nothing to do with Mr and Mrs Garrideb?" Ryunosuke asked.
"Ah, I see, sah! You should have said so earlier, sah." Roly said.
"...Yes, well... So, could you answer the question?" Ryunosuke asked, while he thought this to himself. 'That was a waste of time, then.'
"Absolutely, sah! I will answer it to the fullest of my abilities, sah! There's a surprising reason why Mr and Mrs Garrideb's domestic dispute can't be related to this case. ...But before I get into that, sah, just one thing…"
"Yes?" Ryunosuke asked.
"I'd very much like you and all your countrymen to understand the great British institution of Scotland Yard. So I hope you'll take back some tales of us London bobbies and how we uphold our guiding principles." Roly said.
"...I wasn't planning on going back just yet. I've only just arrived here."
"So to that end - SAH! - I'd be happy to lend you my warrant card for your perusal. But I must warn you...you won't be able to get through it without shedding a few tears!"
"...Thank you. I'll...try."
Constable Beate's warrant card has been entered into the Court Record.
"You see - SAH! - the windows on the top floor of the Garrideb house are top-hinged casements." Roly said.
"Press for more information." I said, happily.
"Hold it." Ryunosuke said, doing the Hold it pose. "By which you mean they don't open fully...is that correct?"
"Yes, sah! They're just there to allow a bit of air through the house, you see. So they're restricted as to how much they open." Roly said.
"And therefore anything thrown out of the window from inside the room... ...would simply strike the pane and fall to the street directly below. For clarity, allow me to mark the map. Here...is the location where objects would have fallen." Van Zieks said.
"Hm, yes... Directly opposite the scene of the crime, on the other side of the rather wide road." The Judge said.
'Would it have been so hard for somebody to mention this top-hinged casement thing before?' Ryunosuke asked, thinkin that to himself, before speaking aloud. "Well...I have another question for you, Constable."
"And what would that be, sah?" Roly asked.
"How do you even know? Why would you have any idea what sort of windows Mr and Mrs Garrideb's house is furnished with?" Ryunosuke asked.
"Ah, well sah... That's very simple. You see, I helped with the investigation yesterday."
"Patricia wants to say something." I said, looking over at Patricia.
"'Scuse me!" Ryunosuke yelled, looking at Patricia. "Do you have something to add, Mrs Beate?"
"Hm...? Sorry?" Patricia asked.
"You look...well, delighted. Is there some particular reason for that?" Ryunosuke asked.
"Oh, I was just remembering, that's all. We really were...so lucky."
"Lucky? What do you mean?"
"Well, of course I feel terrible for the poor woman who was attacked. Don't misunderstand me, please. But we were just so lucky it didn't happen on Roly's beat. It was so close, you see!"
"Oh... I hadn't realised."
"Oh yes, that street, Briar Road...that's the boundary between Roly's beat and the next one. Isn't that right, my love?"
"..." Roly said.
"Constable Beate!" Ryunosuke said, angrily.
"Hm? ...Oh! Y-Yes, that's right. That's the reason I was helping out with interviewing the occupants of the Garrideb household yesterday. Their house is on my beat, you see...sah." Roly said.
"Talk about cutting it close." I said, as Ryunosuke thought this to himself. 'Hm, that really was cutting it close then…'
"Constable, I wonder if you could clarify something... If the Garrideb household is on your beat, does that mean that the pavement next to it is as well?" Susato asked.
"Outside Mr Garrideb's house? Yes, ma'am! The pavement on that side of the road is part of my beat!" Roly said, terrified.
"I see... I was unaware of that." Ryunosuke said.
"Just think, if the woman had been attacked just on the other side of Briar Road... ...we would never have been able to go for that meal to celebrate our wedding anniversary! But...that's the life of a bobby, after all." Patricia said.
"Extraordinary people, our bobbies. Tirelessly working for the benefit of all Londoners." The Judge said.
"Do you know what I think? I think it was the good Lord's way of rewarding my Roly for all his hard work! Don't you think so, my darling?"
"That must be it, Pat, my love. That must be it." Roly said, happily.
"They're such lovebirds." I said, and Ryunosuke thought this to himself. 'I think perhaps we should make sure we have that information officially on record.'
"Leave it to me, Mr Naruhodo! I'll take care of it immediately." Susato said, happily.
The case file's information has been updated in the Court Record.
"And now it's my turn, I think!" Patricia said, worried.
"You helped? In what way?" Ryunosuke asked.
"Various members of the public were questioned in order to gather information about the case." Van Zieks said.
"That's right, sah. The sad truth is, we're all overworked. So even though it wasn't under the jurisdiction of my own beat, I obviously wanted to help." Roly said.
"I see. Well...thank you." Ryunosuke said.
"Oh, is it my turn now?" Patricia asked. "Obviously, if anything had been thrown out of the window, we would have seen it. I did leave the scene to go and fetch help, but my trusty Roly was there to make sure nothing was disturbed."
"Makes sense." I said, clutching the strap of my sling bag.
"Um, can I ask you something? ...Please, Mr Lawyer, sir!" Patricia cried.
"Oh! Um...yes, of course. What is it?" Ryunosuke asked.
"You're, you're doubting us, aren't you? I can tell!"
"What?! I, I wasn't really... I mean…" Ryunosuke said, while he thought this to himself. 'What's she doing?'
"Please. Just because I'm a woman, it doesn't make my testimony any less valuable. You might just see me as the wife of a policeman, but I'm a woman of my word, I am!" Patricia yelled.
"I...I really don't remember ever suggesting that I doubted you…" Ryunosuke said.
"No excuses! I don't want to hear it! My voice will be heard! My Lord, you'll let me speak, won't you?"
"Yes, Mrs Beate, I will allow you to supplement your testimony if you so desire. ...Sometimes the path of least resistance is the sage one." The Judge said.
"Wow." I said, as Ryunosuke thought this to himself. 'That was a very loud mutter…'
"I heard that! That Japanese man thinks a policeman's wife's word counts for nothing, does he? Well watch out, sir! I might let you get away with something like that, but my Roly won't!" Patricia said, angrily.
"...Duly noted, Mrs Beate. Please, I humbly ask you to continue…" Ryunosuke said.
"What could she possibly be about to say, I wonder...?" Susato asked.
"I know what I saw. My eyes never let me down! ...My sense of direction is a little off sometimes, though." Patricia said.
"Ask for more info, Ryunosuke." I said, tossing a chocolate chip cookie into my mouth.
"Hold it." Ryunosuke said, doing the Hold it pose. "Mrs Beate, nobody is questioning what you've told us."
"I saw it, I did! That evening, I saw it clearly! That little Eastern man with the whiskers and the funny curved back, slinking away from the scene!" Patricia yelled.
"Haah…" Ryunosuke said, letting out a sigh.
"And I know what I didn't see, as well. I didn't see any flaming books or knives flying through the sky!"
"...All very clear. You, you also mentioned something about having a poor sense of direction?"
"Oh...yes...well. That's a little embarrassing, really. I'm always ending up at the wrong place when I've made arrangements to meet Roly. He gets ever so cross!"
"Now Roly wants to talk." I said, looking at Roly.
"'Scuse me!" Ryunosuke said, looking at Roly. "Constable Beate! ...Is there a problem?"
"... Eh? Ah...hm? Ah, no sah... No problem, sah." Roly said.
"Did your wife's remark just now bring something to mind, perhaps?" Ryunosuke asked.
"Oh, um...well...in a way, sah...yes, sah. I, I was just remembering that the same thing happened that evening, is all."
"...! You mean, Mrs Beate lost her way? On the night of the incident?"
"Well, you see, I sent her off to find a police box in the next beat over from mine. But she was gone a fair bit longer than what I was expecting. I thought she'd be back inside ten minutes, but my darling was gone a good fifteen."
"Oh, Roly! You're such a tease! But the reason I was so long was because of the bouquet, silly." Patricia said, happily.
"...The bouquet?" Roly asked.
"Sorry, what bouquet are you talking about?" Ryunosuke asked.
"Oh, it was a present for our wedding anniversary. ...Roly's so romantic! He saved up for it with farthings and ha'pennies he found in the gutter while doing his rounds!" Patrica cooed.
"Yes...how romantic!"
"I'd forgotten all about it until just now. ...Had you, my darling?"
"Aaaaaaaaah! Hm? ...Ah! Oh, yes... But that...was just...between us... No talking about it to anyone else, darling. You have to promizzz…" Roly said, sadly.
"Really? ...Oh." Patricia said, frowning.
"Weird." I said, while Ryunosuke thought this to himself. 'What was that all about? Constable Beate looked very obviously troubled during that exchange…'
"I'm afraid I can't offer any useful insight, Mr Naruhodo. But I'm quite sure of one thing: We have to ask Mrs Beate about the bouquet!" Susato said, worried.
"Mrs Beate! This bouquet you just mentioned... I'd like you to add details about it to your testimony, please." Ryunosuke said.
"Oh, really?! Yes, I'd love to!" Patricia said, excitedly.
"..." Van Zieks said.
"Oh well...we've all made mistakes like that from time to time, I'm sure!" Ryunosuke said.
"...I got the wrong church on the day of our wedding, I remember. It caused a terrible kerfuffle. I very nearly got married to someone I'd never even met before!" Patricia said, terrified.
"That would most certainly not do, madam. Anyway...continue with your testimony, please, Constable." The Judge said.
"Yes, SAH!" Roly said.
"What happened was, I dropped my bouquet and ended up losing my way for a while." Patricia said.
"Press for information here." I said, smiling.
"Hold it." Ryunosuke said, doing the Hold it pose. "You mean you dropped the bouquet at the scene of the crime?"
"Yes, that's right. Oh, I was so upset. When we ran over and saw it was a woman with a knife in her back... ...I was so shocked, I dropped the bouquet Roly gave me. It was in a dark spot where the streetlights weren't casting any light, so I didn't notice at first." Patricia said.
"And then you went to the police box to report it to the policeman whose beat it was on?" Ryunosuke asked.
"Yes! And I came back to the scene together with the other constable, you see. That's when I spotted my bouquet again. But the funny thing was, when I went to pick it up... ...it was nowhere near the victim's body at all!"
"...In case you need reminding, Mrs Beate, the victim is not deceased." Van Zieks said.
"I was all flustered for a moment before I heard a voice calling me from the other side of the road." Patricia said.
"...Your husband, presumably?" Ryunosuke asked.
"That's right! Silly me, I'd gone over to the wrong side of the street! Although I'm going to blame the bouquet this time. I can't think how it got there, I really can't."
"That's strange." I said, and Ryunosuke thought this to himself. 'So the bouquet somehow moved from one side of Briar Road to the opposite…'
"Hmmm...curious indeed." The Judge said.
"Isn't it? ...But the worst of it is, I forgot to pick the bouquet up again when we left the scene! That beautiful rose Roly bought me! With that change from the gutter he spent so long collecting!" Patricia said, worried.
"... By 'bouquet'... ...do you perhaps mean this sorry, solitary rose?" Van Zieks asked, taking out the bouquet.
"Oh! OOOOOOH! Yes! Yes, that's it! That's the bouquet Roly bought me for our anniversary...with old bits of change he found in the gutter!"
"...Maybe just call it a rose." Ryunosuke said.
"Tell us, Lord van Zieks, where did you come by the flower?" The Judge asked.
"According to the report by the police officer in charge of the crime scene investigation... ...it was found on the edge of the pavement in front of the Garrideb household." Van Zieks said.
"Okay." I said, while Ryunosuke thought this to himself. 'In front of the Garridebs' house?'
"Although it wasn't noticed until the morning, as it lay where the streetlamps cast no light. It was believed to be of no relevance to the case, since it was found on the opposite side of the thoroughfare."
"Oh, thank you, sir! Thank you! Could I have it back now, please?" Patricia asked.
"Hm... No, I think for good measure, this rose should be added to the Court Record as evidence." The Judge said.
"Oh."
The anniversary bouquet has been entered into the Court Record.
"But...it's a symbol of our love... I want it back after the trial! Do you hear me? I want it back!" Patricia cried.
"Good grief! Rest, rest assured that I shall do my very best not to forget, Mrs Beate." The Judge said.
"I didn't take my eye off the crime scene for one moment, sah! Nothing strange to report on that front, sah!" Roly said.
"Ask for more info." I said, frowning.
"Hold it." Ryunosuke said, doing the Hold it pose. "'Nothing to report'...?"
"That's correct, sah. I had my eyes wide open the entire time. Never looked away for a second. No one else approached the scene, and nothing was removed from it. I can swear to that on the Yard's honour, SAH!" Roly said.
"Really? That...seems a little strange."
"Beg your pardon, sah? Strange, sah? Seems altogether regular to me."
"This burnt copy of 'The Lion's Pride' was originally in the Garrideb household. So the question remains, how did it find its way into the hand of the victim? Can you shed any light on that, seeing as you were at the scene of the crime the entire time?" Ryunosuke asked, holding up the Fourth Book.
"... ...Ah-ha! Could it be a different copy, sah? One that just happened to be burnt as well?" Roly asked.
"Even if that were possible, why would the victim have been gripping a book like that in her hand? As we can see from this photographic print, she had a bag over her shoulder."
"... Well, SAH! That book was in the lady's hand from the moment we arrived at the scene."
"...Is that so?" Ryunosuke asked, and he thought this to himself. 'There's something about this statement that's not sitting right with me. The two mysteries of how that knife ended up in her back, and how that book ended up in her hand... There must be some common thread between them…'
"It could be this." I said, picking up the Anniversary Bouquet and handing it to Ryunosuke. "The common thread."
"Objection." Ryunosuke said, presenting the Anniversary Bouquet. "You claim, Constable Beate, there was 'nothing to report' in the fifteen or so minutes you were guarding the scene. But that cannot be."
"..." Roly said.
"What...what do you mean to say?" Patricia asked.
"In your testimony just now, Mrs Beate, you explained to the court... ...that when you arrived back at the scene of the crime with the policeman assigned to that beat... ...the bouquet you had dropped at the victim's side was no longer anywhere nearby." Ryunosuke said.
"Objection." Van Zieks said, doing the Objection pose. "Yes, on the opposite side of Briar Road to where the victim was attacked. But considering the size of that meagre 'bouquet' - if a single, sorry bloom can be so described... ...no doubt it was blown in the wind across the street, back into the gutter where it belongs."
"Meagre...?" Patricia asked.
"Objection." Ryunosuke said, doing the Objection pose. "But if that were the case... ...why did Constable Beate not testify to the fact?"
"...!" Van Zieks said, at a loss for words.
"'No one else approached the scene, and nothing was removed from it.' Constable Beate swore to that on Scotland Yard's honour." Susato said.
"But the bouquet belonged to me! It has nothing to do with the case. That's...that's why Roly didn't mention it, I'm sure!" Patricia cried.
"No, because sadly it's not only your bouquet we're talking about here. More than one thing in this case is mysteriously the wrong way round!" Ryunosuke yelled.
"What are you talking about?" Van Zieks asked.
"Think about it... Besides Mrs Beate's bouquet...there's Mr Garrideb's book! Mr Garrideb's copy of 'The Lion's Pride', which was thrown out of the window by his wife... ...would have struck the pane of the casement window and landed here, on the west side of the street. And yet... ...it was actually found here, on the opposite side of the road, in the victim's hand. Meanwhile, according to the testimony we've heard, Mrs Beate's bouquet... ...should have been dropped here, at the scene of the crime, on the east end of the street. But in fact... ...it was actually found here, on the opposite side of the road, in front of Mr and Mrs Garrideb's house. There's no logical explanation for those things... ...unless somebody deliberately moved them!"
"What are you trying to say? The way you're talking, it sounds like you think my Roly's done something wrong!" Patricia said, worried.
"Don't you listen to a word that scrawny lawyer says! Wittering on about books and bouquets... Why should we care? It's nitpicking, that's what it is!" Juror No. 4 said, scoffing.
'...Oh good. Mrs Garrideb's come round.' Ryunosuke said, thinking that to himself, before speaking aloud. "You might call it nitpicking, Mrs Garrideb... ...but deliberately meddling with the scene of a crime is a criminal offence. It's called, um…"
"...'Tampering', Mr Naruhodo." Susato said.
"...!" Juror No. 2 said.
"...!" Juror No. 4 said.
"...!" Juror No. 6 said.
"But the person responsible for this tampering cannot admit to it... ...for a very subtle, but compelling reason." Ryunosuke said.
"Objection." Van Zieks said, doing the Objection pose. "'Tampering'? You've barely heard the term before! Tell us, my learned friend, who would possibly have had cause to carry out such an elaborate deception?"
"Someone could have tampered with it." I said, while Ryunosuke thought this to himself. 'Yes, there is someone who tampered with the scene of the crime that evening. All the evidence and all the testimony points to that one particular person…'
"Counsel, I must demand that you substantiate this conjecture. Who are you saying is responsible for tampering with the scene of the crime?" The Judge asked.
"It could be Roly." I said, looking at Roly Beate.
"Take that!" Ryunosuke said, presenting Roly Beat's profile. "Obviously, there's only one person it could have been. Constable Roly Beate, it was you!"
"What?! A policeman?! A member of Scotland Yard?" The Judge asked.
"What nonsense! Why would my Roly do something like that? There's no one straighter than my husband! No bobby works more tirelessly for the people of London!" Patricia said, angrily.
"Mrs Beate... ...you said in your testimony that your husband asked you to go to a nearby police box to fetch the officer on duty. The fifteen minutes that you were absent from the scene is the only opportunity anyone had to tamper with it." Ryunosuke said.
"You're making it up! It's all nonsense! It's all lies! What about that Japanese man with the whiskers? I bet it was him! He did it!"
"Objection." Ryunosuke said, doing the Objection pose. "If that was true, Constable Beate would have seen him do it!"
"Oh…" Patricia said, sadly.
"And forgive me for pointing it out, but when you dropped your bouquet, Mrs Beate... ...it was after the defendant had fled the scene." Susato said, frowning.
"Argh! Well...well…"
"Objection." Van Zieks said, doing the Objection pose. "First you make accusations about the landlord and his wife...and now you incriminate a policeman as well. But your accusations lack one very important thing."
"...!" Ryunosuke said, in awe.
"You claim the crime scene was tampered with. But there is only one reason anyone would commit such a reckless crime: To hide something." Van Zieks said.
"That's right! He's right! But my husband and I just happened to be there, that's all! So why would we have anything to hide? It doesn't make sense!" Patricia yelled.
"You've offered no motive for this alleged tampering. And until you do...your accusations are nothing but empty threats!"
"..." Ryunosuke said, and he thought this to himself. 'Constable Beate had a very good reason for wanting to tamper with the scene of the crime. That's the key to this entire affair.'
"Mr Naruhodo, have you...? Have you managed to solve this mystery?" Susato asked.
"Counsel, you have made a very serious accusation against a London police officer. If you are mistaken, I'm sure I need not point out that your reputation as a lawyer will be irrevocably damaged. ...With that stark warning in mind, you will now explain to the court the motive for this alleged tampering." The Judge said.
"Yes, My Lord. ... Constable Beate's motive for tampering with the crime scene was to hide…" Ryunosuke said.
"Where the victim fell." I said, happily.
"...Where the victim fell to the ground! That is what this bobby had to cover up at all costs!" Ryunosuke said.
"What?!" Van Zieks exclaimed.
"Where the victim fell? You, you mean where she was attacked? What are you talking about? We told you at the very start, didn't we?! On the pavement of Briar Road! We saw it happen, remember? It was right here...as if anyone didn't already know!" Patricia said, worried.
"...That's certainly what everybody has been led to believe. But in fact...that isn't where the victim was stabbed at all." Ryunosuke said, smugly.
"Wha...? WHAAAAAAAAAT?!"
"I'm beginning to wonder where this tumultuous trial will end, Counsel." The Judge said.
"If that's your assertion...then the court is dying to know, my Nipponese friend... ...where are you proposing that the crime actually took place that evening?" Van Zieks asked.
"It could be here." I said, looking down at the map, fixating on the sidewalk next to Mr. Natsume's Lodgings. "On the other side."
"Take that!" Ryunosuke said, presenting the sidewalk next to Mr. Natsume's Lodgings.
"But, but that's…" The Judge said.
"On the opposite side of the road?" Van Zieks asked.
"I, I don't understand…" Patricia said, sadly.
"On the evening in question... ...Mr Garrideb's book fell directly down from the open window above. And your bouquet, Mrs Beate, never moved at all. What did move...was the scene of the crime itself!" Ryunosuke said.
"Good... GOOD GRACIOUS!" The Judge said, terrified.
"Objection." Van Zieks said, doing the Objection pose. "Perhaps you haven't been listening to the ample testimony the court has heard. But these witnesses both saw the moment the attack took place!"
"That's, that's right! I saw it! With my own eyes!" Patricia cried.
"It was five o'clock in the evening and already dark. There was the typical London fog on the ground. When you saw the incident unfold and ran to the victim's aid... ...that was actually on the west side of Briar Road." Ryunosuke said.
"No! That's not true! It, it can't have been!"
"Constable Beate then arranged for you to be absent for a while by sending you for help. And during the fifteen minutes you were away, he transplanted the crime scene. He moved all the things shown in this print: the victim herself...the four books... He moved everything in fact...to the pavement on the east side of Briar Road!"
"Extraordinary…" The Judge said.
"But the constable overlooked one thing." Ryunosuke said.
"What? What did he overlook?" Patricia asked.
"The bouquet, I presume?" Van Zieks asked.
"Exactly." Ryunosuke said, smirking.
"The prosecution told the court just a few minutes ago about the discovery of the rose bouquet. Lord van Zieks said, 'It wasn't noticed until the morning, as it lay where the streetlamps cast no light.'" Susato said, taking out her book and looking down at it.
"Yes, it couldn't be seen in the dark, obviously." The Judge said.
"Which is why it was only the bouquet... ...that was found in its original position, on the pavement on the west side of Briar Road." Ryunosuke said.
"..." Patricia said.
"And that...is the defence's theory about what really happened that evening. How do you respond... ...Constable Roly Beate?"
"... Um...well...I'm... Very sorry. I didn't mean to nod off again. But I haven't slept properly...in a month. Did I miss...anything...important...?" Roly asked.
"Oh Roly... ...it isn't true, is it? What that lawyer said is all lies, isn't it? I know it is, because you're the most upstanding, righteous man I know!" Patricia said, angrily.
"... I had...a dream... A terrible dream... All the thingzzz...I did that night... Everything...come out... Everything...expozzz'd…" Roly said, falling asleep.
"...!" Ryunosuke said.
"...!" Van Zieks said.
"Only...it seemzzz... ...it...wasn't a dream at all." Roly said.
"Good... GOOD GOLLY! Ordaaar! Ordaaar! Orrrdaaar! What on earth is the meaning of all this?" The Judge asked.
"Oh Roly, why? Why would you do something like this? Moving a corpse is...is...is a criminal offence, isn't it?" Patricia asked.
"..." Roly said.
"Yup." I said, while Ryunosuke thought this to himself. '...Wishing the victim dead should be one, too.'
"Constable, explain yourself! Why would you do this? As a respected member of Scotland Yard, your duty is to protect the good people of London town!" The Judge yelled.
"... I, I can't say...sah." Roly said.
"WHAAAT?!"
"I really am ever so sorry about all this. For damaging the Yard's reputation... For...for everything…"
"... I have a possible explanation." Ryunosuke said.
"...!" Van Zieks said, at a loss for words.
"For why, on that particular evening... ...Constable Beate felt compelled to move the scene of the crime. I can think of one reason."
"What?! How could you possibly know? You - a foreigner - presuming to understand the mind of a Scotland Yard policeman!"
"And yet, Lord van Zieks, it is this foreigner who has uncovered the startling truth of the matter thus far." The Judge said.
"...!" Van Zieks said, speechless.
"I believe it would be beneficial to the court to hear this extraordinary young lawyer's theory. Counsel for the Defence, if you please…"
"Yes, My Lord!" Ryunosuke said.
"Now then...I think you had better show us some evidence."
"At once, My Lord." Ryunosuke said, as he thought this to himself. 'England... Japan... It makes no difference where you come from, human emotions are the same. And I think I have a fairly good idea of the feelings behind this man's actions…'
"What gives away the motive for Constable Beate's unthinkable actions?" The Judge asked.
Present Warrant Card or Anniversary Bouquet
"This." I said, passing the Anniversary Bouquet to Ryunosuke.
"Take that!" Ryunosuke said, presenting the Anniversary Bouquet. "... I realise that I'm a foreigner in this land. And I have only just arrived from Japan. Which is why all this information about London's so-called 'bobbies' is completely new to me. I've learnt that, though honourable, 'patrolling the beat is the most demanding work in the world', for example."
"Keeping the peace, looking after the citizens on his beat in all kinds of ways... There's no doubt that the young bobby is charged with a great deal to do each day, certainly." The Judge said.
"But for Constable Beate, the day in question was special." Ryunosuke said.
"Special? How?"
"On account of this bouquet, My Lord."
"Oh yes! It was our very first wedding anniversary!" Patricia cheered.
"...!" Van Zieks said.
"Constable Beate had worked so hard to be able to afford this simple gift for his wife... ...and was so looking forward to taking her out for a celebratory meal…" Ryunosuke said.
"...When he and Mrs Beate stumbled upon a crime along Briar Road. When he saw that shadowy figure through the fog collapse on the pavement ahead of them... ...what must have gone through the man's mind?"