A/N: A resolution to the 1958 movie "Witness for the Prosecution". When the movie came out audiences were warned not to give away the ending, but this story takes the finale one step further.
Prosecution for the Witness
Inside the well-appointed law office, barrister Sir Wilfrid Robarts sat behind his desk. He considered reaching for a cigar from the box on the corner, but decided against it and cursed the little voice inside him that said to smoke less. "Care for a smoke, Alex?" he asked the other man in the room; if he couldn't enjoy one at the moment then he would enjoy one vicariously.
"You're offering me one of my own cigars? How generous" Alex Brogan-Moore responded. "First you win a box of cigars from me in a courtroom bet when you knew the deck was stacked, and then have the gall of offering me one. Don't mind if I do, thank you" he acknowledged, reaching for one of the Cuban beauties. "I know you shouldn't join me, but maybe as a celebration for your coming victory in court. I really think Christine Helm is going to get off of that murder charge. Can't say as I blame her; after finding out she had been set up by that Leonard Vole chap only to be left behind, crime of passion is perfectly understandable. Not that I condone it; I just saying that I understand it. Too bad it had to happen in the Old Bailey though; I'll never think of that courtroom the same again."
"Neither will I" Sir Wilfrid agreed. "However, I'm not celebrating - I have a feeling that this case isn't over by any means, nor is the verdict a foregone conclusion. I may have postponed my Bermuda vacation for nothing. Juries can't always be read."
"Perhaps not, but I watched the jury carefully. She'll be convicted of perjury probably, but they had total sympathy for her in the killing. The way she was cast aside by that Vole fellow was demeaning and, dare I say, dehumanizing."
Sir Wilfrid leaned his large form back in his chair. "One of the problems is the complex nature of the case. Mr. Vole had been accused of murder of the old lady." He chucked for a moment. "Listen to me - she was younger than I am. Let us say 'older' and be gracious. So he is accused of murder, his wife provides an alibi. Except she isn't really his wife because she was already married back in Germany before the two met; Otto Ludwig Helm was conveniently forgotten by her when they made their vows and he brought her back to England after the war. Then, she disguises herself and provides us with manufactured evidence in the way of letters to a made up gentleman named Max to discredit her testimony so that she can have a very public breakdown on the stand and sway the jury to the side of her husband. After he is acquitted and safe from double jeopardy, she admits to collaborating with him on the whole ruse only to find out that Mr. Vole had another woman that he was leaving her for, along with the older woman's estate via her updated will. In a rage she grabs a piece of evidence lying nearby and stabs him to death. It would be difficult for a jury to follow along if they hadn't been there for the original trial, which of course they weren't. When facts become confusing, feelings and sympathies often come into play."
"Agreed. But I still think they'll side with her; she may be German, but they'll see her as a refugee that managed to make a new life for herself here."
"I don't have your optimism on this one - care to make a wager? Perhaps a nice bottle of brandy on this one."
Alex studied his associate and friend; he couldn't read the man to determine the level of confidence behind the wager. But thinking about the cigar bet, he decided to try to even things up. "Done. If she's found guilty, I owe you a bottle. You win either way. Wait, how did that work out?" he said as he scratched his head.
Sir Wilfred laughed. "How did that work out, you ask? Pretty well for me." He glanced at the clock. "I say, I have a great idea; let's arrive early at court today instead of rushing in at the last minute."
"I'm sure Miss Plimsoll would endorse such a relaxed arrival." Sir Wilfrid had spent two months in bed after having a minor heart attack before the Vole trial. The private nurse was a concession to his convalescence. Alex had missed his mentor and friend, and was glad to have him back but was a least a little worried he might push himself too hard.
"The only thing Miss Plimsoll would endorse is my retiring and taking up residence in hospital for the rest of my life while they tortured me with two of the most hideous words in the language: diet and exercise." Both men laughed at the thought and gathered their effects, including court wigs.
...
In the courtroom of the Central Criminal Court, Sir Wilfrid and Alex sat at the defendant's side of the barrister table. Christine Helm sat in the dock, flanked by two officers of the court. For the Crown prosecution, the Q.C. Manfred Myers once again opposed Sir Wilfrid on the case.
Wilfred toyed with his monocle while Myers spoke, everyone expecting for him to present the prosecution's summary. Instead, he made an announcement.
"If it pleases the court my Lordship, I have new evidence I would like to introduce for the prosecution."
"Objection" Sir Wilfrid stood and spoke up, addressing Judge Wainwright. "The prosecution has already presented their side of the case, as has the defense."
"Let me see the evidence" the judge asked, and it was passed to him. "Hmmm" he said, studying the material. "There is precedent, as you well know Mr. Robarts; you yourself made such a request in your last appearance before this court."
"So I did, your Lordship. The objection is withdrawn." He sat down.
"Introduce your evidence" the judge instructed Myers.
"Your honor, I obtained several documents yesterday that have direct bearing on this case. I hold in my hand a copy of a life insurance policy for eighty thousand pounds, to cover the person of one Leonard Vole. You will see the beneficiary is one Otto Ludwig Helm, the defendant's husband." The audience in the courtroom murmured loudly while Christine gasped from the dock. In the follow-up to the highly sensationalized Vole trial, expectations were high for having more legal fireworks.
"Quiet" the judge ordered.
"Thank you, your honor. The prosecution wishes to recall Christine Helm to the stand." Christine, in shock, stumbled from her vantage in the dock to the witness stand.
"I remind you Mrs. Helm, you are still under oath" the judge warned.
"Javohl."
"English please, Miss Helm."
"Yes, I am still under oath" she acknowledged reluctantly.
"Thank you, your honor. Miss Helm, you married Otto Ludwig Helm in Germany in April of 1942?" Myers continued.
"Yes."
"And you went through a sham marriage ceremony with Leonard Vole in March of 1945?"
"Objection, My Lord. We've already established Miss Helm's marital status previously" Sir Wilfrid said as he stood.
"Mr. Myers, of what relevance is going over these facts again?" the judge asked.
"I am sorry Lordship, but I was attempting to establish the disposition of Otto Helm. May I continue?"
"Proceed. Objection overruled." Defendant's council sat down.
"Thank you. Mrs. Helm, you have gone on the record to say that you are still married to Mr. Helm, and that in fact he is still alive. Do you know this for a fact? Would you be surprised to learn that Otto Helm died nine months ago?"
Christine had a surprised look on her face. "That can't be! His, ah, family back in Germany would have told me if it were so."
"Of course they would. My lord, I present the original insurance policy I mentioned previously." He handed the paper in the direction of Wilfrid, who waved it away when it reached him. The paper traveled to the judge who handed it to an officer while Myers continued. "I bring to your attention that the paper was signed only three months ago, just one week after Leonard Vole's arrest for the murder of Mrs. Emily French. Did Mr. Helm know Mr. Voles, Miss Helm?"
"No, of course not!"
"Why are you so sure? Do you have regular communication with him?"
"I haven't seen Otto is years...that was my old life. I was devoted to Leonard" she said with a waver in her voice.
"I see. My Lord, I present a signed affidavit from a Mr. Thomas Wynn-Hawkyard, Notary, stating that he witnessed the signing of the insurance policy by Otto Helm. He also described Mr. Helm's companion, whom Mr. Helm referred to as 'Christine' and matched your description." He handed off the paper and continued. "I submit that the only possible explanation is that once Leonard Vole was arrested for murder, you and your husband - your real husband - conspired to gain from his demise and without his knowledge by taking out an insurance policy on him. After his acquittal and confession to having another woman, you seized the opportunity to kill him not as an act of passion, but with the full knowledge that your husband would financially benefit from his death!"
It took some time and several threats from the judge before calm and order were restored to the courtroom. Anyone studying Sir Wilfrid might have noticed the slightest of smiles gracing his face for a moment.
...
Back in the law office, he and Alex had removed their wigs and gowns and were relaxing. Both were enjoying a smoke.
"It looks like I owe you a bottle of brandy" Alex bemoaned. "I just didn't see that coming. How in blazes did you have any kind of inkling something like that might happen?"
Sir Wilfrid stood and looked out the window for a moment before turning to face Alex. "I expected something was up, as you recall, before the verdict of the last trial. Remember, I said that it was all too neat, too tidy, and altogether too symmetrical. After the death of Mr. Vole in the courtroom, I rushed to defend Miss Helm as much for feeling sorry for her as for trying to soothe my ego from having been duped myself. Much later, after I had time to reflect on the matter, I reconsidered the fact that we hadn't taken into account Otto Helm's whereabouts or disposition during the whole trial apart from his marriage in 1942. Does a man just let his wife disappear with another man to another country? How did she know he was still alive?"
He looked around the office and found a pencil and pad. Bending over the desk, he scribbled something. "See here - I'm not an artist, but I've drawn a shape here. What is it?"
"A square" Alex answered.
"Exactly. Well, remember my remark about symmetry. A square is symmetrical on the left and right." He drew a line down the middle, splitting it into two halves.
"Now you have rectangles" Alex noted.
"Not important. Now..." he continued, drawing another square "...we have another square that is still symmetrical left to right. But it is also..." he said, drawing a line horizontally through the middle "...symmetrical top to bottom. So I was thinking that perhaps there was another aspect of the case that hadn't been explored. I had Carter do a little legwork for me and discovered that there was an Otto Helm living in London. Two, as a matter of fact. But it turns out that one emigrated from Germany several years after the war. After that it was just a matter of digging through some financial records to find what we needed."
"Wait!" Alex said, astounded. "YOU found them? You didn't..."
"I most certainly did. Two can play at that game, except in this case the papers were legitimate. An anonymous informer provided the information to the prosecution as a matter of good public service and justice."
"That means...you...knew about what was going to happen before you made our bet!"
"I didn't know for sure, but I had a pretty good inkling what would transpire when the information came to light. Let us be pragmatic, Alex - we're after justice, ultimately, not victory at any cost. Oh, don't be such a sore loser - you can have a drink with a smoke when you make good on the bet."
"Are you sure Miss Plimsoll will let you indulge? Admittedly, she seems to have become much more permissive after the first trial."
"Oh, you needn't worry about her. At first she seemed bent on killing me by taking away all the things I live for: cigars, drink, capital cases and good food. Now I believe that she's changed tactics and decided that letting me indulge in my vices will kill me faster. Regardless, you'll have to make payment after we return from our trip to Bermuda."
"We? You don't have to take along Miss Plimsoll, do you? Why in heaven's name? She may be your private nurse but you've got to have some peace, man."
Sir Wilfrid turned to stare out the window again. "Sticky wicket, that one. After I proposed marriage to Miss Plimsoll it seems like Bermuda is the only place she wants to take a honeymoon, silly old girl."
The End
A/N: The film was definitely one of the better courtroom dramas, with a dash of humor sneaked in to lighten things up at times. But I really wasn't too happy with the character of Christina Helm probably getting away with being an accessory to murder in the first trial, so I had to turn it back around on her to square the accounts, so to speak. Of course Otto is still out there somewhere...
One couldn't help but notice Nurse Plimsoll's acceptance of Sir Wilfrid's ways at the end of the movie, so I thought that perhaps they should spend more time together. After all, the actor and actress WERE married in real life.