While I Have Pedro by John Chesterman

Author:John Chesterman [Chesterman, John]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction
ISBN: 9781877006180
Publisher: Port Campbell Press

Ten

Scott must have been a very good lawyer. He didn’t look nervous at all. The first thing he did when it was his turn to choose a witness was to call on Mary Toonen, my latest doctor. Pedro calls her my shrink, which I think is funny and probably a bit rude.

I mumbled, ‘Hi Mary’ from where I was sitting, and she said, ‘Hello Red’, though she went red because she was embarrassed.

‘Dr Toonen, could you please describe for the court the nature of the accused’s disabilities.’

‘Sure. Red has a rare form of motor neurone disease which impairs his movement and his ability to speak. He also has an intellectual disability, though the extent of that disability is difficult to measure because of his other physical limitations.’

‘Dr Toonen, in your opinion, could Red Coltrane have done what it was alleged he did?’

‘I think he could have lit the fires, yes, he’s capable of striking a match. He could have lit the fire at St Mark’s, after finding Mr Almore, though I don’t think that’s likely. His immediate reaction would have been, and I’m sure it was, shock, not anger. In any case, given his limited mobility, he would need to have come to the church armed with matches when he found Mr Almore. It all just doesn’t add up. As for the St Peter’s fire, well, obviously he was mobile enough to get to there. But the question is why would he have set it alight?’

‘Would he have been angry about Mr Almore’s death?’

‘Undoubtedly, that would be a response soon after the event.’

‘But you are saying that Mr Almore’s death could not have led the accused to light these fires?’

‘That’s right. I have never known Red to be anything more than instinctive when he is cross. At most he might have gone out the day after, maybe a few days after, Mr Almore’s death and set fire to the nearest church. But even that would be a stretch. I certainly don’t think he’d be capable of waiting months - from April to June - before venting that anger. But more than that, the arsonist is clearly trying to send a message by lighting fires on particular days. That is not about anger alone. You are looking for someone who may well be angry, but has an axe to grind as well.’

‘So, Dr Toonen, you are saying that the person the press are calling the ‘all saints arsonist’ could not be the accused?’

‘To my mind there’s no rhyme or reason why he would be the arsonist. The only triggering factor that has been alleged, or that I could think of, would be the tragic death of Mr Almore. If Red is the arsonist, how do we explain the St Andrew’s fire, which happened five months before Mr Almore’s death?’

‘How indeed.’

Philip jumped to his feet so fast I thought he might keep going up and hit his head on the roof.

‘Objection, your Honour, the accused has been charged in relation only to one of the fires, and I’d ask that the questioning be directed to that one event.

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