The arguments had gone on and on–the parrying and thrusting, the time spent debating legal points and interpretations. Antonia had tried to follow carefully, but several times she lost the thread which panicked her because if she could lose the thread how much likelier was it that the jury would lose it?
Medical evidence was called, showing that there had been some minor abrasions on Antonia’s hands. No, it could not be stated definitely that they were defence wounds, although they were consistent with a struggle. There had been nothing to suggest sexual assault or intention: no torn clothes, no bruises or lacerations to the defendant’s thighs. It had been useless for Antonia’s counsel to leap to his feet at that point, and say that the rape had not progressed to bruised thighs and torn clothes. Dr Weston had already described Don Robards’ actions and explained about his obsession, and there was no reason to disbelieve her account. As for the sexual intent, he said caustically, these days any half-intelligent female outside a nunnery was perfectly capable of knowing if a man intended sexual intercourse.
The events leading up to Richard’s death had been meticulously and methodically unfolded. Antonia and Richard’s movements had been charted, and witnesses had been called to verify everything: a phone call Richard had made to a friend shortly after eight o’clock; colleagues who had seen Antonia in the hospital until half past six; the drink with Jonathan. In the hands of prosecuting counsel, the blameless glass of wine had sounded like a Bacchanalian orgy.
Jonathan Saxon described Don Robards’ treatment at the clinic, and gave his own assessment of Don’s mental frame of mind. Matters had been complicated when Don had developed an obssession with Dr Weston, said Jonathan. He had fantasized about her, and it was not putting it too strongly to say he had begun stalking Dr Weston. She had not called in the police because she had been afraid of the effect on her brother, of whom she was extremely protective, but also because she was aware of Don Robards’ own precarious mental balance.
Yes, said Jonathan, he knew Don had told Antonia he had not killed Richard–that he had found Richard’s body lying on the floor. Asked if the state of Don’s mental health might have caused some kind of blackout or mental block, Jonathan said, yes, it was possible. A fugue might have intervened or some form of hysterical amnesia–to put it simply, the conscious mind may have refused to acknowledge the fact of the murder.
He gave his evidence clearly and firmly, and of his own volition he added that Antonia Weston was a very good doctor of psychiatry, concerned and committed to the care of all her patients, and that if this tragedy prevented her from continuing to practise, it would be an appalling loss to the hospital in general and his own clinic in particular. He glared at the prosecuting counsel as he said this, and Antonia was deeply grateful to him.