Page 24 of Copper Script
Paul reddened.“Oh, that’s very fine, when your side’s been nothing but an embarrassment to the family for thirty years.I did think you might be able to look into a clear bit of sharp practice, or simply stand by your own blood when I’m being traduced by some wretched guttersnipe.I suppose breeding will out.”
That led to a frank exchange of views, during which Aaron reminded Paul about the laws governing perjury and his intent to see them applied given the chance.He left in a thoroughly bad temper, and all the more frustrated with his failure to understand how Wildsmith had done it.He had no objection to falling out with his family on principle, but he didn’t want to do it for the sake of a cheat.
He arranged to buy Hollis a drink the next day, to let him know what was what.It was a slightly embarrassing meeting at first, since Hollis had intended to do Aaron a favour, and Aaron didn’t want to seem unappreciative.
“The problem is, Wildsmith was right,” he explained.“My cousin simply hasn’t a leg to stand on in terms of a complaint, however the man got or guessed his information.And, between us, I wouldn’t help Paul stand on it anyway.He’s behaved like a swine and been found out, and if he doesn’t like it, that’s his hard luck.”
“Fair enough,” Hollis said amicably.“Well, I’m happy to leave it if you think best, though we can’t have these people perpetrating frauds left and right.”
“I don’t know that Wildsmith is a fraud,” Aaron said.“At least, not in the sense of rifling people’s pockets for letters or bribing the servants for information.To be honest, I’m beginning to wonder if there’s something in it.”
Hollis squinted at him.“Really?”
It didn’t seem entirely unreasonable, now Aaron was used to the idea, that handwriting might betray personality on a large scale—vanity, or cruelty, or some such—and he was sufficiently familiar with the way mediums worked to see how Wildsmith could magnify a few generalities into something that felt impressive.But then there was Paul’s indiscretion, or what he’d said of Molesworth—or even what he’d said of Aaron’s own hand...
He wasn’t going to think about what Wildsmith had said of his hand right now.
“He was unquestionably correct several times.Maybe he’s just damned acute, I don’t know.I tell you what, it would be blasted useful if itwastrue.One could present a graphologist with letters from all the suspects in a case and ask him to pick the culprit.”
“Ha!A judge might have something to say about that,” Hollis said.“Then again, I expect people said as much about fingerprints thirty years ago.Do you really think there’s something there?”
“Not to convict on.But if he could offer reliable insights, as part of the whole picture—”
“If.You know, Fowler, these people have the devil of a way of seeming plausible.You say he was right a lot, but I’ve seen mediums at work, and it’s amazing how the memory turns a few banalities, a lucky guess, and a bit of observation into miracle-working.”
“That’s undeniable.What we really need is a blind test,” Aaron said.“Make sure there are no clues for him to seize on at all and see what he comes up with.”
“How would you do that?”
Aaron had thought about this, possibly rather too much.“Give him writing from a lot of suspects in a case, and some from unrelated people too,” he said promptly.“Get him to say who he thought was guilty.But the thing is, we’d make it anunsolvedcase, one that was ongoing, with the man who gave them to him not involved in any way.”
“So he couldn’t read your face for the answer, or even suspicions,” Hollis said thoughtfully.
“Exactly.And mark the papers with numbers and somebody else has the key.So even if he found out what case it was, he still wouldn’t know who had written which paper.Get him to write his opinions down, so there’s no misremembering what he said.And lock his answers in a drawer, unread, until a culprit’s been identified, so there’s no possibility of his views influencing the investigation.”
“Yes, that would give you a very good idea of the value of graphology.A medium can fall back onThe spirits aren’t talking to meorSomeone at the seance is ruining the atmosphereorA ghost played a prankor suchlike, whereas with a Scientific Graphologist, surely he should be right or wrong, no excuses.”Hollis nodded slowly.“You’d need the right case, but I’d be very interested to see how that went.”
“So would I.I’ve been chewing over how the blighter does it for weeks.It would be good to confirm for sure he’s a fraud.”
“And handy if he turns out to be a genius.I wonder if he’d agree to the test?”
Aaron thought about Joel Wildsmith, who grew that moustache on purpose.“I think he might, if it was a challenge.If he didn’t, that would be telling in itself.Do you know, I’d blasted well give it a try, if I could find the right set-up.”
Hollis took a ruminative sip of beer.“If he failed, that would be pretty good evidence of making money by false pretences for the future, wouldn’t it?I might be able to help you with a case.Let me have a think.”
***
AARON TOYED WITH THEidea of letting Wildsmith know about Paul immediately, and decided against it.Going to see him risked looking eager in some way he didn’t care to define, especially since he might be coming back if Hollis found a possible case to use as trial.Anyway, if Wildsmith had to worry a little longer, it would do him no harm and might cause him to reflect on the wisdom of making actionable claims about strangers.
He went back to work the next day, and was instantly presented with a case that drove the graphologist from his thoughts.
“Body in the canal,” he told Challice.She was looking rather drawn after yet another complaint of rape that had gone nowhere.He hated sexual offence cases: the shame and distress of the victims, the ugliness of the questions that had to be asked, and the frustrating difficulty of getting a conviction, still less a sentence that reflected the harm done.
DI Davis always put Challice on those cases.Aaron wondered if he realised how cruel that was.On darker days, he wondered if Davis knew it very well.
She deserved a bit of fresh air, he felt, which in this instance meant a corpse fished out of the Regent’s Canal.“Chap’s got a head wound so it needs looking into.Want to come with me?”
She beamed as though he’d asked her to dance.“I’d love to.”
