‘I was sent,’ said Gowery with difficulty, ‘A package. It contained... various statements... and six copies of the photograph taken in Hughes’ flat.’
‘Who sent it to you?’
Gowery’s voice was very low. ‘I don’t know.’
‘You don’t know?’ Ferth was incredulous. ‘You warned two men off on the strength of it, and you don’t know where it came from?’
A miserable assenting silence.
‘You just accepted all that so called evidence on its face value?’
‘It was all true.’ He clung to it.
‘Have you still got that package?’
‘Yes.’
‘I’d like to see it.’ A touch of iron in Ferth’s voice.
Gowery hadn’t argued. There were sounds of moving about, a drawer opening and closing, a rustling of papers.
‘I see,’ Ferth said slowly. ‘These papers do, in fact, look very convincing.’
‘Then you see why I acted on them,’ Gowery said eagerly, with a little too much relief.
‘I can see why you should consider doing so... after making a careful check.’
‘I did check.’
‘To what extent?’
‘Well... the package only came four days before the Enquiry. On the Thursday before. I had the Secretaries send out the summonses to Newtonnards, Oakley and West immediately. They were asked to confirm by telegram that they would be attending, and they all did so. Newtonnards was asked to bring his records for the Lemonfizz Cup. And then of course I asked a Stipendiary to ask the Totalisator people if anyone had backed Cherry Pie substantially, and he collected those affidavits... the ones we produced at the Enquiry. There was absolutely no doubt whatsoever that Cranfield had backed Cherry Pie. He lied about it at the Enquiry. That made it quite conclusive. He was entirely guilty, and there was no reason why I should not warn him off.’
Ferth stopped the recorder. ‘What do you say to that?’ he asked.
I shrugged. ‘Cranfield did back Cherry Pie. He was stupid to deny it, but admitting it was, as he saw it, cutting his own throat. He told me that he backed him — through this unidentified friend — with Newtonnards and on the Tote, and not with his normal bookmaker, because he didn’t want Kessel to know, as Kessel and the bookmaker are tattle-swapping buddies. He in fact put a hundred pounds on Cherry Pie because he thought the horse might be warming up to give everyone a surprise. He also put two hundred and fifty pounds on Squelch, because reason suggested that he would win. And where is the villainy in that?’
Ferth looked at me levelly. ‘You didn’t know he had backed Cherry Pie, not at the Enquiry.’
‘I tackled him with it afterwards. It had struck me by then that that had to be true, however hard he had denied it. Newtonnards might have lied or altered his books, but no one can argue against Tote tickets.’
‘That was one of the things which convinced me too,’ he admitted.
He started the recorder. He himself was speaking and now there was a distinct flavour in his voice of cross examination. The whole interview moved suddenly into the shape of an Enquiry of its own. ‘This photograph... didn’t it seem at all odd to you?’
‘Why should it?’ Gowery said sharply.
‘Didn’t you ask yourself how it came to be taken?’
‘No.’
‘Hughes says Oakley took the money and the note with him and simply photographed them in his flat.’
‘No.’
‘How can you be sure?’ Ferth pounced on him.
‘No!’ Gowery said again. There was a rising note in his voice, the sound of pressure approaching blow-up.
‘Who sent Oakley to Hughes’ flat?’
‘I’ve told you, I don’t know.’
‘But you’re sure that is a genuine photograph?’
‘Yes. Yes it is.’
‘You are sure beyond doubt?’ Ferth insisted.
‘Yes!’ The voice was high, the anxiety plain, the panic growing. Into this screwed up moment Ferth dropped one intense word, like a bomb.
‘Why?’
Chapter Twelve
The tape ran on for nearly a minute. When Gowery finally answered his voice was quite different. Low, broken up, distressed to the soul.
‘It had... to be true. I said at first... I couldn’t warn them off if they weren’t guilty... and then the package came... and it was such a relief... they really were guilty... I could warn them off... and everything would be all right.’
My mouth opened. Ferth watched me steadily, his eyes narrowed with the pity of it.
Gowery went on compulsively. Once started, he needed to confess.
‘If I tell you... from the beginning... perhaps you will understand. It began the day after I was appointed to substitute for the Disciplinary Steward at the Cranfield-Hughes Enquiry. It’s ironic to think of it now, but I was quite pleased to be going to do it... and then... and then...’ He paused and took an effortful control of his voice. ‘Then, I had a telephone call.’ Another pause. ‘This man said... said... I must warn Cranfield off.’ He cleared his throat. ‘I told him I would do no such thing, unless Cranfield was guilty. Then he said... then he said... that he knew things about me... and he would tell everyone... if I didn’t warn Cranfield off. I told him I couldn’t warn him off if he wasn’t guilty... and you see I didn’t think he was guilty. I mean, race-horses are so unpredictable, and I saw the Lemonfizz myself and although after that crowd demonstration it was obvious the Stewards would have Cranfield and Hughes in, I was surprised when they referred it to the Disciplinary Committee... I thought that there must have been circumstances that I didn’t know of...and then I was asked to take the Enquiry... and I had an open mind... I told the man on the telephone that no threats could move me from giving Cranfield a fair judgement.’
Less jelly in his voice while he remembered that first strength. It didn’t last.
‘He said... in that case... I could expect... after the Enquiry... if Cranfield got off... that my life wouldn’t be worth living... I would have to resign from the Jockey Club... and everyone would know... And I said again that I would not warn Cranfield off unless I was convinced of his guilt, and that I would not be blackmailed, and I put down the receiver and cut him off.’
‘And then,’ Ferth suggested, ‘You began to worry?’
‘Yes.’ Little more than a whisper.
‘What exactly did he threaten to publish?’
‘I can’t... can’t tell you. Not criminal... not a matter for the police... but...’
‘But enough to ruin you socially?’
‘Yes... I’m afraid so... yes, completely.’
‘But you stuck to your guns?’
‘I was desperately worried... I couldn’t... how could I...? take away Cranfield’s livelihood just to save myself... It would have been dishonourable... and I couldn’t see myself living with it... and in any case I couldn’t just warn him off, just like that, if there was no proof he was guilty... So I did worry... couldn’t sleep... or eat...’
‘Why didn’t you ask to be relieved of the Enquiry?’
‘Because he told me... if I backed out... it would count the same with him as letting Cranfield off... so I had to go on, just in case some proof turned up.’
‘Which it did,’ Ferth said dryly. ‘Conveniently.’
‘Oh...’ Again the anguish. ‘I didn’t realise... I didn’t indeed... that it might have been the blackmailer who had sent the package. I didn’t wonder very much who had sent it. It was release... that’s all I could see... it was a heavensent release from the most unbearable... I didn’t question...I just believed it... believed it absolutely... and I was so grateful... so grateful...’