To my relief, Boaz and Rachel had agreed on a ‘bundle’ of documents. Accordingly, the judge was entitled to review the documents before the hearing. A conscientious man like Morag would go ahead. In consequence, he would have a basic grasp of the case before the trial.
The more I looked at the documents the less easy I felt. Fischer had stated in his report of the accident that he had parked his car on the grounds at about 8.30 a.m. The car-park-attendant’s record suggested he had arrived half an hour earlier. I realised it might have taken Fischer time to find a vacant lot. Thirty minutes, though, suggested the car park had been near full. But could this happen early in the morning?
Another suspicious fact related to the accident itself. Fischer claimed it occurred shortly after he climbed up to the first floor. The affidavit of the workman, who had arrested his fall, stated that Fischer proceeded to the ‘accident spot’ on his way down from the 2nd Floor. A further perusal of the documents revealed that the 2nd story was, at that time, ‘still in progress’. It had not been ready for inspection.
The third oddity related to the plank that had given way. It was not part of the scaffolding and should not have been there. Labourers used it as a short cut when hopping from one part of the scaffolding to another. The workman’s report mentioned the plank had been loose. Obviously, the labourers took their chance when they made use of it. Fischer should have insisted that it be removed. Instead, he too stepped on it.
Mother looked with concern at my harassed expression. When I explained the problems, she thought they would be a good starting point for Fischer’s cross- examination. She was startled when I showed her Ruth’s instructions. She understood, instantly, that a genuine cross-examination was ruled out. She then asked whether such instructions were common.
“Of course not, Mamma. But, you see, I am told Fischer is Ruth’s current boyfriend.”
“I am not surprised. I saw them together in the theatre and in a restaurant. And you told me a lot about Fischer years ago. I am not surprised he is a Tachshit [ornament; slang for philanderer].”
“I suspect that explains it. Are you surprised, Mamma?”
“Of course not. And a fellow like Fischer would make use of an old maid like Ruth. I used to feel sorry for her when she came to concerts and shows unaccompanied. But Peter’le, could there be even more to it than that?”
“What do you mean?”
“Is Ruth entitled to give such instructions?”
“Well, she is the Head of Rotem’s Legal Department. In this case, she is our boss.”
“But doesn’t she have to clear such an odd instruction with her superiors?”
Mother searching question threw fresh light on the issue. At the same time, neither Rachel nor I were in a position to question Ruth. Still, Jacob Keren, the Head of our firm, was a non-executive director of Rotem. He could bring the matter to the attention of Ruth’s superiors by raising it at the next Board meeting.
A further study of the file exacerbated my misgivings. Both the car park attendant and Fischer’s rescuer had no reason to lie. True, one or the other could have made an honest mistake. But could both err?
I was, accordingly, inclined to believe them. But even so, I remained in the dark. Why would Fischer misrepresent the time of his arrival at the site? Further, why did he proceed to the 2nd story when the area was still out of bounds? Fischer was a cunning and unprincipled fellow. But he was no fool. What was he seeking to hide?
Despite her effort, mother was unable to come up with any clue. One thing, though, became clear. Ruth’s instruction ruled out an attempt to get to the bottom of the matter during the hearing. She had played right into her boy-friend’s hand. All in all, the outcome depended on the delicate legal question.