The Murder House
“It had been chosen by his Indian mother because she thought it would fit nicely into the two cultures that comprised his heritage. Oakley had never visited India, and with his mother dead and contact long since lost with her family, nor was he likely to. The only reminders of his ethnic background were an olive complexion, dark eyes and a fondness for curry. And the name, of course, which often caused confusion. One such occasion was currently in progress, as he stood in the witness box at Bris...tol Crown Court to give evidence against one Andrew Brown.
‘There appears to be a mistake,’ drawled James Paxton, the defending barrister. ‘One of the clerks has spelled Neil with two ‘e’s. That’s the disgrace of our education system, My Lord – it teaches people to spell phonetically.’ Patiently, Oakley explained the origin of his name. He disliked Paxton, having watched him in action before, belittling witnesses and using his sharp mind to confuse and undermine them. He knew the remark about his name was an effort to get under his skin, to annoy him and make him incautious.MoreLess
‘There appears to be a mistake,’ drawled James Paxton, the defending barrister. ‘One of the clerks has spelled Neil with two ‘e’s. That’s the disgrace of our education system, My Lord – it teaches people to spell phonetically.’ Patiently, Oakley explained the origin of his name. He disliked Paxton, having watched him in action before, belittling witnesses and using his sharp mind to confuse and undermine them. He knew the remark about his name was an effort to get under his skin, to annoy him and make him incautious.MoreLess
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