Arthur & George

weeks – was wet. He said wet twice. At Cannock he merely called it damp.’
    Meek gave a soft smile. ‘It’s a pleasure to work with you, Mr Edalji. It’s the sort of thing we notice but tend not to mention to the client in case it dispirits him. The police will be making a few more adjustments of the kind, I don’t doubt.’
    That afternoon Mr Vachell got little of value from the Inspector, who knew his way round a witness box. During their first encounter at Hednesford police station, Campbell had struck George as rather slow-minded and vaguely impertinent. At Newhall Street and at Cannock, he had been more alert and openly hostile, if not always coherent of thought. Now his manner was measured and sombre, while his height and his uniform seemed to impart logic as well as authority. George reflected that if his story was subtly changing around him, then so too were some of the characters.
    Mr Vachell had more success with PC Cooper, who described, as he had done at the magistrates’ court, his matching of George’s boot-heel to the prints in the mud.
    ‘Constable Cooper,’ Mr Vachell began, ‘may I enquire who gave you the instruction to proceed as you did?’
    ‘I’m not quite sure, sir. I think it was the Inspector, but it might have been Sergeant Parsons.’
    ‘And where precisely were you told to look?’
    ‘Anywhere on the route the culprit might have taken between the field and the Vicarage.’
    ‘Assuming the culprit came from the Vicarage? And was returning there?’
    ‘Yes, sir.’
    ‘Anywhere?’
    ‘Anywhere, sir.’ Cooper looked no more than about twenty to George’s eye: a red-eared, awkward boy trying to imitate the confidence of his superiors.
    ‘And did you assume the culprit, as you refer to him, took the most direct route?’
    ‘Yes, I suppose I did, sir. It’s what they usually do when leaving the scene of the crime.’
    ‘I see, Constable. So you did not look anywhere other than on a direct route?’
    ‘No, sir.’
    ‘And how long did your search last?’
    ‘An hour or more, I would estimate.’
    ‘And at what time did it take place?’
    ‘I suppose I started looking at nine thirty, more or less.’
    ‘And the pony was discovered at six thirty, approximately?’
    ‘Yes, sir.’
    ‘Three hours previously. In the course of which time anyone could have walked across that route. Miners on the way to the Colliery, sightseers brought by news of the outrage. Policemen, indeed.’
    ‘That’s possible, sir.’
    ‘And who accompanied you, Constable?’
    ‘I was on my own.’
    ‘I see. And you found a few heelmarks which in your opinion matched the boot you held in your hand.’
    ‘Yes, sir.’
    ‘And then you went back and reported your discovery?’
    ‘Yes, sir.’
    ‘And then what happened?’
    ‘What do you mean, sir?’
    George was pleased to observe a slight change in Cooper’s tone; as if he knew he were being led somewhere but could not yet make out the destination.
    ‘I mean, Constable, what happened after you reported what you had found?’
    ‘I was put to searching the grounds of the Vicarage, sir.’
    ‘I see. But at some point, Constable, you went back and showed someone of higher rank the marks you had discovered.’
    ‘Yes, sir.’
    ‘And when would that be?’
    ‘In the middle of the afternoon.’
    ‘In the middle of the afternoon. By which you mean, three o’clock, four o’clock?’
    ‘Around then, sir.’
    ‘I see.’ Mr Vachell frowned and gave himself rather theatrically to reflection, in George’s view. ‘Six hours later, in other words.’
    ‘Yes, sir.’
    ‘During which time the area was guarded and cordoned off to prevent further trampling?’
    ‘Not exactly.’
    ‘Not exactly. Does that mean yes or no, Officer?’
    ‘No, sir.’
    ‘Now, I understand that it is often normal procedure in such cases to take a plaster of Paris cast of the heelmarks in question. Can you tell me whether this was done?’
    ‘No, sir, it wasn’t.’
    ‘I understand that another technique would be to photograph such marks. Was that done?’
    ‘No, sir.’
    ‘I understand that another technique is to dig up the relevant piece of turf and bring it for forensic analysis. Was that done?’
    ‘No, sir. The ground was too soft.’
    ‘How long have you been a police constable, Mr Cooper?’
    ‘Fifteen months.’
    ‘Fifteen months. Thank you very much.’
    George felt like cheering. He looked across at Mr Vachell, as he had done before, but