Choices. Jeff Edwards
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‘I’ll have my assistant get straight on to it.’
‘Alright, let’s go back in and see if our friend Mr Travers has had a change of heart.’
* * *
This time the judge allowed the prosecutor to handle the questioning of Travers, concentrating instead on watching the man in the dock and the way he handled himself.
If the judge had had to describe Travers he would have been hard-pressed to find some distinguishing feature. The man appeared to be of average height, average size, average hair colour, average clothing, his skin was well-tanned like that of a man who worked outdoors rather than in a communications centre. The only non-average thing about the man was that he appeared to be a lot fitter than most men his age, and the judge wondered if that might be some sort of a hint that Travers really was connected to the intelligence industry. He certainly looked unremarkable enough, and the judge could see that Travers would blend in almost anywhere on Earth without attracting too much attention to himself. That might also explain why the man’s illegal activities had gone undetected for so long.
‘Well then Mr Travers,’ began the prosecutor, ‘you say that your dealings with Trusty Investigations are to do with national security?’
‘I never said anything of the sort,’ Dan replied, indignant at being misquoted.
‘Well then, what did you say?’ asked the prosecutor innocently.
‘I simply advised the commission that I couldn’t answer its questions.’
‘I asked you if you knew Trusty Investigations or Liam Ryan, and you claimed that you couldn’t answer due to the Official Secrets Act. I deduce from your reply that Trusty Investigations or Mr Liam Ryan must be associated with national security, otherwise the Official Secrets Act would not apply to your giving this commission the answers it seeks.’
Dan realised that he was being questioned by an expert. He knew he had to be on his guard at all times. To say anything at all was to fall into the prosecutor’s trap, no matter how innocent the questions may seem.
‘Well Mr Travers?’
‘I cannot respond to your conjecture due to …’
‘… the Official Secrets Act,’ sighed the prosecutor finishing Travers’ sentence for him.
The prosecutor returned to his desk and picked up a sheaf of papers. ‘I have here the phone records of a phone located in the office of Trusty Investigations and used by Liam Ryan. On it are numerous listings for calls made to and from a phone number in police headquarters. Would it surprise you to know that the phone number in police headquarters is the phone in your office?’
Dan swallowed involuntarily which made the judge smile. Got you!
‘Well Mr Travers what do you say to that?’ pressed the prosecutor.
‘I am unable to respond to that statement due to the provisions of …’
‘Yes, yes, yes Mr Travers,’ interrupted the judge. ‘There’s no need for you to keep quoting that mantra. We’ll take it as said that if you continue to refuse to answer our questions it is because of your so-called association with the Official Secrets Act. Continue with your questions prosecutor.’
The prosecutor turned to Travers. ‘So, it would seem that you’ve had a business relationship with Mr Liam Ryan for some considerable time. What is the nature of that business relationship?’
‘I never said that.’
‘No, that’s right, you didn’t. However, rather than your hiding behind a federal act, I choose to accept the evidence which has been collected by our officers—evidence such as the exchange of phone calls and the unexplained deposit of certain monies into a bank account in your name. Would you like me to supply you with the dates and the amounts of the deposits made to that account?’
‘I cannot respond to your comments.’
‘Of course you can’t Mr Travers. That would only confirm your guilt in this matter.’
‘I can’t respond to that.’
‘What manner of information could you possibly pass on to Liam Ryan that would be of national significance?’
‘I cannot answer that.’
‘Is Mr Ryan’s company a “front” for one of our nation’s security departments?’
‘I cannot answer that.’
‘Of course you can’t, but I’m sure your friend Mr Ryan will be more forthcoming when we put him on the stand.’
Dan gave an involuntary shudder. He hadn’t considered that.
‘I cannot respond to that comment,’ he replied weakly.
Both the judge and the prosecutor caught Travers’ moment of weakness.
‘And you’re willing to face a possible prison sentence for contempt of court if we learn that you have been less than truthful with this commission?’
‘I am unable to help you.’
‘What will the intelligence community say when we ask them what part you play in their dealings?’
‘I can’t comment on that.’
‘Will they say, “Oh yes Mr Travers is one of our best spies”, or will they say that they’ve never heard of Mr Daniel Travers?’
‘They will deny having heard of me.’
‘Ah finally, an answer to a question.’
Dan realised his mistake, but it was too late.
‘So your masters in intelligence will deny all knowledge of you, and they’ll allow you to pay the price for your silence.’
Dan nodded. ‘It’s the way that things are done.’
‘And you’re not prepared to assist this commission?’
‘I can’t.’
The prosecutor nodded. ‘So be it.’
The prosecutor and the judge exchanged a glance. There was no point in pursuing the matter any further. They had plenty of other fools waiting to be questioned.
‘Mr Travers,’ the judge began, ‘to say that our short time together today has been less than promising would be an under-statement. I have no doubt that what you are attempting is nothing short of perverting the course of justice and I am sure that there will be a day of reckoning for you. At this point in time you may step down, but I am warning you that we will be taking your case further, and I am sure that you will be reappearing before this commission sometime in the very near future. When that day comes, I will expect you to behave in a far more co-operative manner, or there will be consequences for you the likes of which you cannot possibly conceive.’
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