Next morning, Constance watched as Rosa settled herself in the witness box. The TV chef wore a shocking pink tunic and turquoise cropped trousers, her dark hair thick and glossy, as if she was about to take part in a shampoo commercial.
Judith leaned towards Constance and spoke behind her hand. ‘Do you know, if I believed in reincarnation, I think I’d like to come back as Rosa Barrera.’
‘Really?’
‘That look, anyway.’
Constance glanced in Rosa’s direction, trying to appreciate what had so impressed Judith, Judith who never envied anyone, especially not based on their appearance or image.
‘You will be able to focus on cross-examining her, won’t you?’ she asked.
Judith just smiled. ‘Have I worried you?’ she said. ‘Once I get in the zone, everyone’s dead meat, no matter how glamorous.’
‘Ms Barrera,’ Andy began, rolling his rs like a native Spanish speaker. Constance stifled a laugh. ‘You are a practising vegan. Can you explain to the court what that means, please.’
Rosa turned to the judge and flicked her lustrous locks over her shoulder.
‘Where to start?’ she said, her eyes bright. ‘I think most people know that vegans don’t eat meat or any other animal products, so no milk or eggs. But veganism is a philosophy based on not exploiting animals in any way, so not wearing leather or wool, either.’
‘And what is your profession?’
‘I’m a chef. I own a small café in London.’ She suddenly stopped and looked out over the public seating, before sighing deeply. Then she returned her attention to Andy. ‘And I have a TV show in which I cook vegan food from all around the world.’
‘How did you know Brett Ingram?’
‘I didn’t really know him – not well. I met him, ooh, around 2016, at a food fair in Bristol.’ Rosa stared out into the distance again. ‘He was a guest of the National Farmers’ Union and he was promoting British beef, so it wasn’t exactly love at first sight.’ She managed a half smile.
‘After that?’
‘I didn’t meet him again till he invited me to the event on the 13th of April but we were in touch, from time to time.’
‘Why did you agree to attend?’
Rosa turned towards the judge, opened her eyes wide, then returned her attention to the jury. Constance made a note. One thing which Constance had liked about the ‘cameras in the courts’ pilot of two years before was that you could watch witnesses again, afterwards, in your own time, slow things down, really analyse their responses and body language. The traditional process meant she had to be constantly on her guard.
And Judith liked her to notice things like this – that Rosa had spent longer than she might have contemplating her response – and keep a record. That way, afterwards, they could try to work out what motivated a witness to give a particular answer. And given Judith’s continuing and persistent alternative theory that one of the speakers might have been involved in deliberately trying to kill Brett, her close scrutiny gained even more importance.
‘Heart Foods is a big player in the UK market,’ Rosa said. ‘Since 2019 they’ve been buying and promoting vegan food. I’d like to think I had something to do with that. After we first met, I put Brett in touch with some fabulous vegan food suppliers. And he promised an interesting collection of people in the food industry would be there.’
‘Am I right that you and the other panellists arrived earlier than members of the public?’
‘We were invited for 12; I arrived around 12.30. We had an hour or so for lunch and chat before everyone else came.’
‘What did you eat for your lunch?’
‘I remember sweet potato pakora and flat bread. Not bad, actually, although not as good as the ones I make myself.’
‘Was the food hot?’
‘The pakora were warm, the bread no. It might have been hot earlier.’
‘And how was the food arranged?’
‘There was a long table at the back of the hall with platters of food. I asked one of the staff to show me what was vegan.’
‘Do you remember what other food was on offer?
‘All kinds of things. I think Brett was trying to make a point about how diverse our diets were. There was thinly sliced beef and burgers, edamame salads, halloumi, sandwiches and fruit and an assortment of breads. Everyone left the salad. Not that it didn’t look nice; just difficult to eat when you’re juggling everything. I’d have preferred to sit down. How can you really appreciate food when you’re worried about whether it’s even going to reach your mouth?’
‘Did you go into the kitchen?’
‘No.’
‘Did you see the defendant, Nick Demetriou, at all?’
Now Rosa shifted the top half of her body around, to fix her eyes on Nick, who was still focused on the ground just ahead of his feet.
‘I don’t remember seeing him,’ she said.
Andy paused and drew breath. ‘Think hard, Ms Barrera. You didn’t see the defendant at all, throughout the meeting?’ Constance suspected this wasn’t the answer Andy was expecting. It probably wasn’t that important, but it still seemed strange. Constance looked at the words she had typed onto her screen. ‘I don’t remember seeing him’. Not yes or no. Rosa’s answer was equivocal. Perhaps she really wasn’t sure, but then Rosa seemed to be the kind of person who was sure about most things.
‘He might have served me a drink. We didn’t have any conversations, any interaction that I remember.’ Rosa’s voice wavered as she directed her answer to the jury, but then her gaze appeared to seek out Lisa Demetriou, who was watching her closely. Their eyes met and Rosa almost smiled for a second time. Constance was confused. Did Rosa know Lisa?
‘Did you see Mr Ingram over lunch?’ Andy stuck with the simple questions, clearly worried now about the extent to which he could rely on this witness.
But Rosa had returned to her usual confident self. ‘Of course. He was the host,’ she said.
‘You spoke to him?’
‘And the others, yes.’
‘How was he?’
‘He seemed fine. He greeted me with a kiss on both cheeks, he introduced me to Mark Sumner, one of the other guests, he said he was enjoying my show.’
‘Did you see Mr Ingram eat anything?’
Rosa screwed up her face and stared up at the ceiling, then back at Andy.
‘Sandwiches,’ she said.
‘Mr Ingram ate sandwiches?’
‘There was a plate close by and I’m fairly sure he took one while we were talking.’
Andy made a point of typing a note into his laptop, although it was patently obvious it was for effect. Rosa’s statement had said she saw Brett eating sandwiches; it was nothing new. Constance wished Rosa had answered this question opaquely. The sandwiches were the key to the prosecution case.
‘When did you first notice that Mr Ingram was unwell?’ Andy continued.
‘When his head hit the table next to me.’
‘You didn’t detect anything earlier, over lunch?’
‘If he wasn’t feeling well, he didn’t say.’
‘Then what happened?’
‘Diana and Adrian looked after him. I tried to make sure I gave them plenty of space. You’ll have to ask them for any details of what happened.’
‘That’s Diana Percival and Dr Adrian Edge?’
‘Yes.’
‘Well, we can ask them all about it when they give their evidence. Thank you. I have nothing more. Please wait there for Ms Burton’s questions.’
***
Judith stood up and waited, watching Rosa take a drink of water and fiddle with the neckline of her tunic. Perhaps she wasn’t quite as confident as she appeared.
‘Ms Barrera,’ Judith asked. ‘Why do you think you were invited to the Tanners’ Hall event?’
Rosa took a moment to answer and Judith felt the heat of her gaze, in a way she felt sure Andy hadn’t.
‘Brett wanted to present different views to the public about the food we should eat. I represented the vegan perspective and, well, I am on TV, so I expect he thought I would pull in viewers.’
‘Viewers?’
‘He was filming the event and planned to use the recording in marketing. I’m not sure how, but we all had to say we agreed. To our images being used. That kind of thing.’
‘You mentioned that Heart Foods sells vegan food?’
‘It has a small range, yes. I was trying to encourage Brett to expand. There’s been a big push for products which mimic meat, for sensible, commercial reasons. I wanted him to go back to the celebration of vegan foods, wonderful vegetable dishes where you can see what you’re eating, not some mash up of pea protein, dressed up to look like a meatball.’
‘What did Brett think about that?’
‘He was sympathetic, but he was a businessman and he had to think about what would sell.’
‘That’s what he said?’
‘Yes.’
‘You think vegan food is here to stay, then, not just a fad – Veganuary 2021 and never again.’
‘I’m sorry, Ms Burton, what was that you said?’ Judge Linton had pushed his glasses back up his nose and was peering at Judith.
‘Veganuary, My Lord. There was a big push by some major supermarkets to persuade the public to try out a vegan diet in January this year – vegan and January – hence Veganuary.’
‘I see. I understand, thank you. Do answer the question.’
Rosa treated Judith to her trademark grimace. ‘I’m insulted you would call my way of life a “fad” and I imagine four million other people in the UK would feel the same, if they were here today.’
‘Ms Barrera, I’m sure Ms Burton’s intentions were honourable,’ Judge Linton said. ‘The question was asking for your opinion in any event, which, although interesting, is not what you are here to provide. Ms Burton, next question please.’
‘My Lord, yes. You told us Mr Ingram was “fine” when you arrived at the hall. I wanted you to provide some more detail of how he seemed. Was he lively?’
‘Yes.’
‘Talking to his guests?’
‘Yes.’
‘Making jokes?’
‘I don’t remember jokes. Not any I laughed at anyway.’
‘He appeared in good health?’
‘Absolutely.’
‘And would you describe him – I know you said you’ve only met him once before – but was he a charismatic character?’
‘Yes.’
‘Loud?’
‘Yes.’
‘Inquisitive?’
‘Yes.’
‘You’ve described the food on offer for lunch: beef carpaccio, exotic salads, gourmet burgers, your own choice of sweet potato delicacies, breads and sandwiches. Were the sandwiches all meat?’
‘There was a selection, I think. All kinds of things.’
‘Why didn’t you choose a sandwich then? You’ve told us why you didn’t try the salad. Sandwiches are the perfect finger food, aren’t they?’
‘Sandwiches are boring, however well made,’ Rosa said. ‘If I’m allowed to say that because, that’s just my opinion, of course, My Lord.’
Judith had to hand it to Rosa. She was not going to let Judge Linton bring her down. Perhaps she had read about his last case and she was determined not to be cowed by him. Although she would be better advised to focus on just answering Judith’s questions.
‘I see,’ Judith said. ‘Are you seriously telling me then that Brett Ingram, head of Heart Foods, lover of innovation and novelty, who could have had his pick of anything on that table, chose a “boring” sandwich?’
‘That’s what I told the police.’
‘I see. Is it what you remember now?’
‘It was a long time ago. Do you remember what other people ate for their lunch in April?’
Judith paused to allow Rosa’s answer, with its own embedded rhetorical question, to hover before, hopefully, finding a place to land in the minds of the twelve members of the jury. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Constance look up.
‘This wasn’t any old day, Ms Barrera,’ Judith continued, to press home her advantage. ‘This was a day when a man died right next to you.’
‘I know. I know that.’
‘We heard from Sergeant Thomas yesterday. She said that you were upset when she arrived and that you went home shortly afterwards. Is that right?’
‘Mark…Mr Sumner was good enough to accompany me. I didn’t want to be on my own.’ Rosa looked out over the public gallery, then at the judge, then back at Judith.
‘And it was, in fact, two days later, on the Thursday, that you spoke to police and mentioned the sandwiches?’
‘If you say so.’
‘That’s the date on your statement.’
‘You must be right then.’
‘Were you certain then about what Mr Ingram ate?’
Rosa looked across at Nick now, then back at Judith. All this fidgeting suggested to Judith that Rosa was anything but comfortable with her line of questioning, which seemed strange, as it was fairly straightforward.
‘I think so. I would never have said something if I didn’t believe it was true,’ Rosa said. Here, yet again, Rosa was hedging her bets. Judith had to press on.
‘But maybe you guessed when the police asked you, before it took on any importance, when the prevailing view was that Mr Ingram had died from a heart attack, and now you don’t want to admit you were wrong?’
Andy was on his feet in a flash, his mouth half open, but Judge Linton cut across him.
‘Mr Chambers, I would like Ms Barrera to answer the question. Ms Burton, do take care how you address our witnesses; they aren’t on trial, you know.’
Rosa’s shoulders drooped and Judith, heeding the judge’s warning, retreated a few centimetres from her lectern and softened her tone.
‘Think hard now, Ms Barrera, as this is important. Here, today, in this courtroom, we want your recollection of what happened, not what you may have told other people on other occasions. Did you see Brett Ingram eat anything at the meeting?’
‘We were talking and I was eating so I thought…’
‘Maybe he didn’t like to talk and eat at the same time? Many people don’t.’ Judith thanked Greg in her head for her quick-witted retort.
Rosa closed her eyes. ‘We were next to the sandwiches. I was eating. I can’t tell you now if I saw Brett eat anything at all, not to be sure. I’m sorry.’ She stared at Andy, who nodded benignly but who, Judith suspected, was secretly seething at Rosa’s apparent change of heart.
‘No need to apologise,’ Judith replied. ‘That’s all the questions I had for you, thank you.’
***
Judith watched the TV chef stumble down the steps of the witness box and make her way towards the exit. As she reached the door, a man appeared from outside the court and held it open for her. When she saw him, she leaped back as though she had been stung, then straightened up, nodded to him and scampered out.
Judith leaned over towards Andy.
‘Witnesses, eh?’ she said. ‘Always forgetting their lines.’
‘I should probably have moved her down the list,’ he replied. ‘She started OK, but once you began your routine, she became a bit distracted.’
‘Was she unwell?’
‘Just all that stuff about her café is coming to a head.’
‘Her café?’
‘Yes,’ Andy said. ‘The fire.’
‘It’s coming to a head, is it?’ Judith asked, trying to sound uninterested.
Andy nodded. ‘The police have dropped it. Not that surprising as most arson cases never get solved. But she’s done the place up at her own expense and she’s still waiting to hear if the insurers will honour the cover. If not, she may just sell up at bargain basement price and move on.’