Arthur & George

is easy of access to the country?’
    ‘Indeed. It backs on to open fields. But so do many houses.’
    ‘Sir Arthur.’ It was the first time Mrs Greatorex had spoken. As he turned to her, he noticed that her colour had risen, and she was more agitated that when they arrived. ‘You suspect him, don’t you? Or both of them?’
    ‘The evidence is accumulating, to say the least, ma’am.’
    Arthur prepared himself for some loyal protestation from Mrs Greatorex, a refusal to countenance his suspicions and slanders.
    ‘Then I had better tell you what I know. About three and a half years ago – it was in July, I remember, the July before they arrested George Edalji – I was passing the Sharps’ house one afternoon and called in. Wallie was out but Royden was there. We started talking about the maimings – that’s what everyone was talking about at the time. After a while Royden went over to a cupboard in the kitchen and showed me … an instrument. Held it in front of me. He said, “This is what they kill the cattle with.” It made me feel sick just to look at it, so I told him to put it away. I said, “You don’t want them to think you are the man, do you?” And then he put it back in the cupboard.’
    ‘Why didn’t you tell me?’ asked her husband.
    ‘I thought there were enough rumours flying around without wanting to add to them. And I just wanted to forget the whole incident.’
    Arthur contained his reaction and asked neutrally, ‘You didn’t think of telling the police?’
    ‘No. After I got over the shock I went for a walk and thought about it. And I decided Royden was just boasting. Pretending to know something. He would hardly show me the thing if he’d done it himself, would he? And then he’s a lad I’ve known all my life. He’d been a bit wild, as my husband explained, but since he came back from sea he settled down. He’d got himself engaged and was planning to be married. Well, he is married now. But he was known to the police and I thought that if I went and told them, they’d just make out a case against him whatever the evidence was.’
    Yes, thought Arthur; and because of your silence, they went and made a case out against George instead.
    ‘I still don’t understand why you didn’t tell me,’ said Mr Greatorex.
    ‘Because – because you were always harder on the boy than me. And I knew you’d jump to conclusions.’
    ‘Conclusions which would probably have been quite correct,’ he replied with a certain tartness.
    Arthur pushed on. They could have their marital disagreement later. ‘Mrs Greatorex, what sort of an … instrument was it?’
    ‘The blade was about so long.’ She gestured: a foot or so, then. ‘And it folded into a casing, like a giant pocket knife. It’s not a farm instrument. But it was the blade that was the frightening thing. It had a curve in it.’
    ‘You mean, like a scimitar? Or a sickle?’
    ‘No, no, the blade itself was straight, and its edge wasn’t sharp at all. But towards the end there was a part that curved outwards, which looked extremely sharp.’
    ‘Could you draw it for us?’
    ‘Certainly.’ Mrs Greatorex pulled out a kitchen drawer, and on a piece of lined paper made a confident freehand outline:

    ‘This is blunt, along here, and here as well, where it’s straight. And there, where it curves, it’s horribly sharp.’
    Arthur looked at the others. Mr Greatorex and Harry shook their heads. Alfred Wood turned the drawing round so that it faced him and said, ‘Two to one it’s a horse lancet. Of the larger sort. I expect he stole it from the cattle ship.’
    ‘You see,’ said Mrs Greaterex, ‘your friend is jumping to conclusions immediately. Just as the police would have done.’
    This time Arthur could not hold back. ‘Whereas instead they jumped to conclusions about George Edalji.’ Mrs Greatorex’s high colour returned at this remark. ‘And forgive my asking, ma’am, but did you not think of telling the police about the instrument later – at the time they charged George?’
    ‘I thought about it, yes.’
    ‘But did nothing.’
    ‘Sir Arthur,’ replied Mrs Greatorex, ‘I do not recall your presence in the district at the time of the maimings. There was widespread hysteria. Rumours about this person and that person. Rumours about a Great Wyrley Gang. Rumours that they were going to move on from animals to young women. Talk about pagan sacrifices. It was all to do with the new moon, some said. Indeed,