The Accused (Modern Plays) Read Free Page A

never forge’ it.
    Kersley So please tell the court what happened that night, Mr Webster.
    Webster It must ’ave been around ’alf past ten, ’cos that’s when I goes on me night round ’fore turnin’ in. Always starts at the top of the building and works down to the bottom, where I live. It’s only logic, innit? When I reached the landin’ of the sixth that night, I ’eard noises comin’ from the floor below.
    Kersley Can you describe those noises?
    Webster Yes, it was as if someone was ’avin a row, and then I ’eard a crash - like a chair turnin’ over.
    Kersley A row? Could it have been a quarrel between a man and his wife?
    Barrington (
rises
) My Lord, how can Mr Webster possibly know the answer to that question?
    Webster Cos I ’eard voices.
    Judge Voices? Can you be certain, Mr Webster, that you heard more than one voice coming from the flat?
    Webster No, I can’t be certain, but why would Mrs Sherwood want to shout at ’erself?
    Kersley Why indeed. And did you hear anything she said?
    Webster Yes, I’m pretty sure I ’eard ’er say ‘ ’ow did you get in?’.
    Kersley ‘How did you get in.’ And did she sound surprised?
    Webster Too bloody right she did.
    Judge Moderate your language in my court, Mr Webster.
    Webster Sorry, Guv.
    Judge You address me as My Lord, and counsel as Sir.
    Webster (
looking directly at the
Judge ) Right you are, sir. (
He turns his attention back to
Kersley.)
    Kersley Had you been inside Mrs Sherwood’s flat before?
    Webster Oh, yes, when I gets to ’er floor, she’d often ask me in for a cup’a tea, I think she liked the company.
    Kersley But wasn’t Mr Sherwood around most evenings?
    Webster No, not regular. In any case, I wouldn’t ’ave gone in if he was around, not after that time he came back unexpected and told me to bugger off. ( Judge
and
Webster
look at each other
.)
    Kersley And how often did Mr Sherwood go out in the evenings?
    Webster Quite a lot. What with his private patients and so on.
    Kersley How did you know that he was going out to see one of his private patients?
    Webster I used to watch ’im leavin’ from my flat in the basement, didn’t I.
    Kersley Yes, I’m sure you did, but that doesn’t explain how you knew that he was visiting a patient?
    Webster Common sense, inn’t (
He touches his nose
.) Whenever he was visitin’ a patient, he’d take his doctor’s bag with him, wouldn’t he.
    Kersley And was he carrying his doctor’s bag that night?
    Webster No, he wasn’t.
    Kersley What time was it when he left the building?
    Webster It must ’ave bin a few minutes after seven.
    Kersley How can you be so sure?
    Webster Cos I’d just come out of the lavatory, ’adn’t I. ( Kersley
looks puzzled
.) I phones me ol’ mum at six, tea at ’alf past, go to the toilet at seven,
Coronation Street
at seven thirty - regular as clockwork. Old army training, innit.
    Kersley And when did Mr Sherwood return that night?
    Webster No idea, Guv, but it can’t ’ave been before eleven could it, cos he wasn’t there when they carted his wife off to ’ospital.
    Kersley Quite. So when you heard the row, what did you do next?
    Webster I ran down the stairs, fast as I could. I bangs on the door, but no one answers.
    Kersley Was that when you called the police?
    Webster No, Guv, I decided this ’ad to be one of them emergencies, where I’m expected to use me master key. In the Pioneer Corps it’s what we used to call initiative.
    Webster
holds up a bunch of keys, showing one in particular, and waits while everyone hangs on his words
.
    Kersley But you told the judge that before you unlocked the door, you had heard more than one voice coming from the flat?
    Webster Yes, I’m pretty (
He hesitates
.) sure about that.
    Kersley Could one of those voices have been Mr Sherwood’s?
    Webster Doesn’t seem likely on account of the fact that he’d already gone out.
    Kersley But could he have returned without you seeing him?
    Webster Only if he used