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‘I wish you could have seen Hawksby when he was in the witness box,’ said Williae was impressed’

Beth got the ive him a hard time?’

‘No, he didn’t even cross-exaained from it’

‘And as Faulkner like on the stand?’

‘I He looked a little over-rehearsed and kept putting the blame on his wife’

‘Surely the jury won’t like that’

‘Booth Watson took Christina apart yesterday’ Willia ‘Christina’, and moved quickly on ‘And Faulkner put the boot in today He also h I don’t think he has any intention of keeping it’

‘That he’d gift the Rubens to the Fitzmolean?’

‘How did you know that?’

‘I rang the gallery during the lunch recess, and Tim Knox told me that Booth Watson had phoned to tell hi the Rubens as soon as the trial was over’

‘That sounds to me distinctly like a bribe,’ said William, as the bus cae will be able to work that out?’

‘Perhaps you should give Faulkner the benefit of the doubt for a change’

‘I fear that’s exactly what the jury ht do But it will take a lot more than that to convince me he hasn’t been in possession of the Rembrandt for the past seven years’

‘Do you think we’ll ever be able to go a whole day without discussing either case?’

‘That will depend on whether your father is released and Faulkner is locked up for a very long time’