Scarecrow of 1889
Chapter 32: Jane to the stand

Chapter 32: Jane to the stand

And finally, the time came.

"I would like to call my next witness, Jane Reinhart," Charles informed the judge.

Jane stood up from where she had been seated and made her way towards the witness stand. She could sense everyone’s eyes on her, some with curiosity and some with annoyance, as she was supposed to help hang the murderer, not help him.

"Order! Order!" Judge Reynolds silenced the crowd in the courtroom, which had broken into whispers and murmurs.

Jane finally took her stand and met Charles’s eyes before her eyes fleeted towards where he sat.

The room went quiet, waiting for the next scene of the trial to roll out. Charles walked to the front of the witness stand and asked Jane, "Miss Reinhart, you are the detective in the case, aren’t you?"

"Yes."

"And you were the one who sent out the fingerprints from the crime scene to Mr. Gael Hines, am I correct?"

"Yes." Jane repeated her answer calmly.

"But you believe Mr. Crowley to be innocent?"

"Mr. Crowley is innocent because he suffers from split personality disorder. I had my doubts, and I consulted Mr. Walsham, who diagnosed him after a session," Jane replied.

"And is it true that you met one of his alter egos before you found out he was the one whom you have been searching for in the scarecrow case?"

Jane nodded, "I met Ricardo Wood. We met during one of the plays that was shown in Frontier Hall Opera House. I didn’t know until the officers caught him for the murder of Margot Brooks."

"And when you found out that he was Sylvester Crowley, what did you notice? Was there any difference?" he asked.

"There are some loud details, and some that are subtle," Jane said, feeling the viewers hang on her every word.

"Loud?" Charles asked her.

"The man I first met, his clothing was very different from what I see. He didn’t wear glasses, and had rings on his fingers, and the style of his clothes didn’t blend with the others around him. Not like Sylvester Crowley," Jane explained to the court. "He used to speak Spanish in between, where he seemed native. But Mr. Crowley doesn’t speak a word of it."

Charles said, "Please take note of what Miss Reinhart just said. Mr. Crowley spoke a language that he had actually never learned. Something only his alter ego knows."

"When you first met Mr. Crowley, not Mr. Wood, did he recognise you?"

"No. He didn’t."

"That is all for now, Your Honour," Charles offered a nod.

But then came the cross examination from Mr. Hamilton, who walked towards the witness stand she stood in with a smug smile.

"Miss Reinhart," Mr. Hamilton said, looking at Jane with great interest while she wore an expressionless face. "You are one of the first female detectives in our country. I hear you worked under an esteemed man before opening your own firm."

Jane didn’t comment on it but patiently heard the prosecutor. The law in court was nothing but a game, one where people hoodwinked the witness to say what they wanted and she knew she had to be careful. Because her words could fuel the public crowd, or they could take a step back to sympathise with the man.

"You earlier said you met this ’Ricardo Wood’ at the night show put in Frontier Hall?" Mr. Hamilton questioned.

"Correct."

"And were you romantically involved with him? There are claims that you both used to have meals together."

"We were acquaintances."

"I heard that the esteemed Lady Delilah Swan was present that night. Are you familiar with her?"

"Yes, my family and I used to go attend her shows put up in Riddleford when we were young," Jane answered.

"Then would you say that you are fond of her? That you spoke to her that night, calling yourself her admirer in the Opera House? Yet, you didn’t know who her son was?" Mr. Hamilton badgered her with questions. "I find it rather hard to believe it, unless you are trying to lie here."

"Objection, Your Honour!" Charles shouted, but Judge Reynolds responded with, "Overruled."

"But Mr. Hamilton is—"

"Sit down, Mr. Leary," the judge said, giving a disapproving look.

"Yes, Miss Reinhart?" Mr. Hamilton prompted.

"I knew she had two children, but I never bothered to find out about who they were. I have admired the woman, not the people she’s related to," Jane stated.

"I must say, I find it rather strange that you met Mr. Crowley and didn’t know who he was. Especially after you met him in the opera house, where even Lady Delilah was," the prosecutor questioned her.

"I didn’t meet him there."

"But you said to Mr. Leary that you met him there, didn’t you? We can check the transcript if needed."

"I know what I said," Jane replied. "I met his alter ego, not him himself. It was outside the opera house," she corrected the lawyer.

"Yes, that’s what I meant. You met Sylvester Crowley—"

"I don’t think you are able to hear what I am saying, Mr. Hamilton," Jane cut in to receive a look from him. "I didn’t know that the man I met was Sylvester Crowley, as I was introduced to him as Ricardo Wood, which was one of his alter egos."

"I heard you met Sylvester Crowley for most of your lunch time? You must have become close then. It also means Mr. Crowley lied to you," Mr. Hamilton suggested.

"When did I say he lied to me?" Jane’s voice raised, feeling a little irritated that the man kept going round and round on the same subject. "Did you hear me say that?"

"But you just said that he introduced himself as Ricardo Wood."

Jane stared at the man before stating, "You must be having a hard time in this court, as you fail to hear what others are saying."

"Miss Reinhart, I must ask you to behave." The judge warned her for her sass. "And Mr. Hamilton, yo—"

But Jane already blurted out, "It is the truth. Being a senior lawyer, he keeps saying the same thing, like a broken record. You should have better prepared yourself if you don’t have better questions to as—"

"Miss Reinhart! Another rude remark, and you will be taken off the witness list!" Judge Reynolds passed the judgement, and people in the courtroom softly gasped.

"What?" Jane asked, because this was ridiculous! Mr. Hamilton quietly smirked, taking a bow and making his way to the bench.

The trial for the day came to an end, and Jane stepped out of the court, fuming. The man sure knew how to get on one’s nerves. She muttered, "I can’t believe this happened."

With the court having a holiday the next day, everyone took a breather from making rounds to the courthouse. A soiree had been held for the elite people of the town, and many people had come to gather and attend it.

Charles had ushered Jane out of the office, telling her she needed to get some air and attending the soiree would do her mind some good as she had been working more than he was.

"I heard Judge Reynolds is going to be there, and prosecutor Hamilton too. Who knows? You might be able to change their minds?"

Only if it were that simple, Jane thought to herself. When she was young, she remembered how most of the women were envious of her. They often said,

"You don’t have to work for anything, Jane. All you have to do is bat your lashes, and men will just give you everything on a silver platter."

And Jane knew those were the words of the envious. Sure, she was born into a rich family, but she had opted for unconventional ways of life, as society liked to say. She wanted to help people, and that is what she would do.

Jane got ready for the soiree, wearing her silken gown, which was deep blue in colour and her hair let down, which she didn’t often do. Applying some colour to her lips, she stepped out of the house.

Her coachman upon seeing her, lit up and he complimented her, "You look lovely, today, Miss Jane. Just like the times when you and Mr. Reinhart used to go out in the past."

"Thank you, Etienne," Jane smiled at him. But the only difference was that, then she would do it out of eagerness. And right now, she was a woman with business. She then said to him, "You know what? After all of this gets over, we should go out."

"Where would you like to go, milady?" the coachman asked, offering his hand to her, as he helped her climb inside the carriage.

"Somewhere far and new," Jane murmured, away from all this noise. The coachman only smiled at her, understanding what she was going through. He climbed on the front, before driving the carriage towards the place where the soiree was being held, while there was a life hanging at the people’s mercy.