Sweet as Honey (The Seven Sisters) - By Caitlyn Robertson Page 0,42

easy to end up doing the things your partner wants because you like to please them, or to keep the peace. If one partner realises that by sulking or making the atmosphere unpleasant they can get their own way, it can easily develop into manipulation.”

“Doesn’t change the fact that she knifed him,” Matt said.

Tom cleared his throat and leaned forward. He reminded Honey of her grandfather, Cam’s dad, who had died a few years before they moved from England. Thank God he had stepped forward to take on the role of foreperson.

“I suggest we get ourselves a cup of tea or coffee, then sit down and go around the table,” he said. “Each of us should take a few minutes to give our point of view. Everyone should have a say as to why they think Sarah Green is guilty or innocent. After that, we’ll take another vote and see where we stand.”

Everyone agreed that was a good idea. A few people got up to get themselves a drink, Honey included. She chose a hot chocolate from the machine in the corner, more for comfort than because she was thirsty.

As she returned to the table, she heard Peter2 asking Matt how long he thought the process was going to take. “Who knows?” Matt said in a voice just loud enough to be heard. “Depends how long it takes to convince these two.”

She sat on Tom’s right, feeling he was supportive even though he’d voted different than her, and cupped her hands around the mug, keeping her gaze fixed on the drink. She knew she shouldn’t let the others intimidate her, but with such a small advantage it would be natural for the others to think their role lay in convincing herself and Alice to think their way.

Inside, she burned with resentment. A decision should be made based on a majority vote. She’d heard that it happened occasionally, but in this case the judge had specified that he wanted everyone to agree. It put huge pressure on those in the minority. Decisions that affected people’s lives were based on whether the jurors had strong enough personalities to stand their ground. The system sucked. She’d never realised how much before.

Everyone gradually took their places and the group settled. Tom indicated the person on his left, a middle aged woman called Sue who’d spent most of her time staring out of the window, obviously wanting to be somewhere else.

She shrugged. “I think she did it.”

“Can you explain why?” Tom asked.

“I’m not saying he didn’t deserve it,” Sue said. “He was a shit to her. That much is clear. I think he told her he was coming to collect his CDs and she had the knife ready.”

“Why would he collect his CDs at eleven o’clock at night?” Honey asked.

Sue shrugged. “It’s late and he said he was returning from Auckland. It’s not right that he came into the house when they’d broken up though.”

“It was his house,” Peter2 pointed out. “Once they’d split, she had no right to stay there.”

“Even so. He walked out—I think he should have knocked on the door and waited for her to answer, not barged in. But I think she expected him, which means she knew it was him and she went for him with the knife.”

Sue had nothing more to add, so they went around the table. Everyone seemed to have the same view. Everyone thought Sarah had known it was James and had attacked him with the knife with the intent to harm him.

When it came to Alice, Honey could see the older woman’s convictions fading in light of everyone else’s words. “I think it was self-defence,” she said. “He’d been so horrible to her and he even hit her.”

“He denied that,” Peter2 said.

“Well, he would,” Alice said. “But it wouldn’t surprise me that he’d do it. I think they argued, he got angry and went for her, and she lashed out to stop him.”

“What bothers me,” Tom said slowly, “is that the wound is on his face. That says to me that he didn’t have time to see the knife coming. If they were arguing first, he would have seen her pick up the knife and the wound would have fallen on his arms or hands as he tried to protect himself. It suggests to me that the attack came in the dark, without him expecting it.” Most of the others nodded.

“There’s also the point about Sarah not putting the chain across the door,” Babs said.