Admission of Innocence, chapter 1, part 5

‘So where’s the problem?’ Peter asked. ‘Why doesn’t she take their advice?’

‘Because she didn’t do it,’ Gerry repeated. ‘She told me that she didn’t kill him, and I believe her.’

‘Oh! I get it,’ Peter said, after a brief pause. ‘That’s what you meant by it being difficult to explain except to another priest. You’ve heard her confession and she didn’t confess to killing her husband?’

‘As I’m sure you are aware,’ Gerry answered, poker-faced, ‘I am not permitted to reveal anything about what is said at the sacrament of reconciliation – or even to confirm that an individual has come to me for that purpose. However, I’m not breaking any rules by telling you that, if a penitent confesses to a criminal offence, I would require assurance from them that they will hand themselves in to the authorities and accept whatever punishment is meted out to them under the law, before agreeing to pronounce absolution. And any of my regulars would be able to confirm that Vanessa Wellesley rarely misses my Saturday afternoon confessional time.’

‘I understand,’ Peter grinned. ‘It’s one of those, “you might well think that; I couldn’t possibly comment” occasions. OK. So your Vanessa is innocent of killing her husband. But presumably the prosecution must think they’ve got a good case against her. Under the circumstances, she might still do better to plead guilty to manslaughter – on the grounds of loss of control or else because she was just using reasonable force to defend herself.’

‘But that would mean telling a lie in court,’ Gerry argued. ‘And that’s something she can’t in all conscience do.’

‘And surely you’re not suggesting that she ought to?’ Damien added.

‘No, I’m not,’ Peter assured him, ‘but I am saying that that might be the pragmatic way of minimising her sentence – assuming that the real killer can’t be found.’

 ‘And that’s exactly why Damien suggested talking to you!’ Gerry broke in. ‘We need someone to find the real killer. That’s the only way of convincing people that Vanessa didn’t do it.’

to be contnued ...