The Accused (Modern Plays) by Jeffrey Archer Read Free Book Online

was a few weeks later, at the staff Christmas party - he pulled me under the mistletoe and started kissing me.
    Kersley But isn’t that normal at a Christmas party, Ms Mitchell?
    Mitchell Yes, but it isn’t normal for a doctor to put a hand on your breast.
    Kersley And how did you respond?
    Mitchell I pushed him away and then left the party as quickly as possible, hoping that none of the other nurses had noticed.
    Kersley And did you go straight home?
    Mitchell I would have done so, but he followed me out. He apologised immediately and asked if he could walk me back to my flat.
    Kersley Did you let him?
    Mitchell Yes, I lived less than a mile away and he seemed very contrite.
    Kersley And did he leave you once you arrived back at your flat, Ms Mitchell?
    Mitchell No, he asked if he could come in for coffee.
    Kersley And did you agree this time?
    Mitchell Yes, I’m afraid I did. You see, on the way home he never stopped telling me how much he adored me and longed to be with me. And in any case, it had started to rain and I felt rather sorry for him.
    Kersley So after he’d joined you in the flat, what happened next?
    Mitchell I made us some coffee, but he hung around long after he’d drunk it. I pointed out that it had stopped raining, but he just wouldn’t go.
    Kersley And did he once again try to kiss you?
    Mitchell Yes, he did.
    Kersley Forgive me for being indelicate, Ms Mitchell, but how far did it go?
    Mitchell (
looks at the
Judge ) Do I have to answer that question, My Lord?
    Judge Yes, indeed you do, Ms Mitchell. You see the jury need to know exactly what took place that night.
    Mitchell (
hesitates
) We ended up making love.
    Sherwood We’ve never made love and you know it.
    Judge Mr Sherwood, I have already spoken to you about interrupting this witness.
    Sherwood My Lord, do I have to sit in silence while this woman goes on telling lies about me?
    Judge You must listen to all the witnesses without interrupting, Mr Sherwood. You will in time be given an opportunity to answer questions from the witness box under oath, if you choose so to do. But until then, you will remain silent. ( Sherwood
sits down
.) Carry on, Mr Kersley.
    Kersley So, after Mr Sherwood had made love to you, did he eventually leave?
    Mitchell Yes, it must have been about three in the morning .
    Kersley And how did he treat you the following day?
    Mitchell He was very courteous and professional during ward rounds, but that changed when he asked me to join him in his office.
    Kersley Why, what happened, Ms Mitchell?
    Mitchell As soon as I walked in, he pulled me towards him and started to undo my uniform. I warned him that anyone might come in.
    Kersley What did he say to that?
    Mitchell He didn’t, he just smiled and locked the door.
    Kersley And did he continue to try to undress you?
    Mitchell Yes, we ended up making love on his couch.
    Kersley And did this become a regular occurrence?
    Mitchell Oh, yes. After that, Patrick would often turn up late at night, explaining that he told Elizabeth he was out visiting a patient. He made love with such a passion that I was convinced he no longer had a sexual relationship with his wife.
    Kersley And how long did this affair go on for?
    Mitchell About three months.
    Kersley And he asked you to pick up the prescriptions from Wellingborough soon after you started sleeping with him?
    Mitchell Within days. But by then Patrick knew only too well that I nearly always visited my parents at the weekend.
    Kersley And were these prescriptions ever made out for Mrs Sherwood?
    Mitchell No, they were all for private patients.
    Kersley Can you recall the date of the first one?
    Mitchell Yes. It was about three months before his wife died.
    Kersley How can you be so sure?
    Mitchell Because I made a diary entry that Patrick had given me a ten-pound note to cover the cost, and there was four pounds change, which I returned to him on the Monday morning.
    Kersley But if you were so surprised to be asked to carry out Mr