The Wreck Of The Mary Deare

The courtroom eased itself a little self-consciously. Nobody looked at Patch. Nobody looked anywhere until Bowen-Lodge’s matter-of-fact voice lifted the tension from the room. ‘Call the next witness.’

‘Donald Masters!’ Holland was in his place again. The court began to get back into its stride. Technical witnesses followed, giving details of the ship and its equipment, passing judgment on its age and condition, with depositions sworn by the surveyor in Yokohama and the Lloyd’s official who had issued her load-line certificate. Another by the Docks Superintendent at Rangoon giving information about the Torre Annunziata and the adjustments to her cargo. And then Holland called ‘Angela Petrie’ and the court, predominantly male, stirred with interest as Mrs Petrie went into the witness box.

She explained that the Dellimare Trading and Shipping Company had been formed as a private limited company in 1947 with Mr Dellimare, a Mr Greenly and herself as directors. It had been entirely a trading concern, specialising in the import-export business, chiefly with India and the Far East. Later Mr Greenly had ceased to be a director and Mr Gundersen, who had operated a similar type of business in Singapore, had joined the board, the capital had been increased and the business considerably expanded. She gave figures, producing them from memory with quiet efficiency.

‘And the position of the Company now?’ Holland asked.

‘It’s in process of being wound-up — a voluntary liquidation.’

‘And that was arranged before Mr Dellimare’s death?’

‘Oh yes, it was decided some months back.’

‘Any particular reason?’

She hesitated, and then said, ‘There were certain tax advantages.’

A little murmur of laughter ran round the court and Holland sat down. Almost immediately Patch’s lawyer was on his feet, a thin, dried-up man with a reedy voice. ‘Mr Learned Chairman, I should like to ask the witness whether she is aware that Mr Dellimare was involved, just before the formation of this Company, in a case of fraudulent conversion?’

Bowen-Lodge frowned. ‘I do not regard that as relevant, Mr Fenton,’ he said acidly.

‘I should like to answer that question.’ Mrs Petrie’s voice was bold and clear and vibrant. ‘He was acquitted. It was a malicious accusation with no shred of evidence to support it.’

Fenton sat down a little hurriedly and Sir Lionel Falcett rose. ‘Mr Learned Chairman, I should like to know from the witness whether any ships were purchased by the Company at the time of its formation?’

Bowen-Lodge put the question and Mrs Petrie answered ‘None’.

‘You hadn’t the capital, is that it?’ Sir Lionel asked. And when she agreed, he said, ‘In point of fact, it was quite a small business?’

‘Yes.’

‘Then why call it the Dellimare Trading and Shipping Company? Surely it was a rather unnecessarily grandiose title?’

‘Oh, well, you see, Mr Dellimare was always very keen about ships, and being ex-Navy and all that, he hoped one day … Anyway,’ she added, with a flash of pride, ‘we did finish up by owning ships.’

‘You had the Mary Deare and the Torre Annunziata. Any others?’

She shook her head. ‘No. Just those two.’

Sir Lionel glanced down at his papers. ‘The purchase of the Mary Deare was completed on June 18 of last year. When was the Torre Annunziata purchased?’

For the first time Mrs Petrie showed a slight hesitation. ‘I can’t remember exactly.’

‘Was it in April of last year?’

‘I don’t remember.’

‘But you are a director of the Company and this must have involved a considerable amount of finance. Do you mean to say you have no records of the transactions?’ Sir Lionel’s voice had sharpened slightly.

‘I may have. I don’t know.’ And then she added quickly, ‘We were expanding fast at that time and it was all fixed up at the Singapore end.’

‘And you were not kept fully informed, is that it?’ She nodded and he then asked, ‘At what date did Mr Gundersen join the board?’

‘On March 2 of last year,’

‘So that these shipping transactions were a result of his joining the board?’

‘Yes, I suppose so.’

Sir Lionel turned to the Chairman. ‘There is just one more question I should like to put to the witness. As the Court is already aware, the Mary Deare was making just this one voyage and was then being sold for scrap. The Torre Annunziata made only two voyages and then she was sold to the Chinese. I should like to know what the margin of profit was on these transactions.’

Bowen-Lodge put the question, but she shook her head. She didn’t know.

‘What was the cost of acquiring these ships, then?’ Sir Lionel put the question to her direct.

‘No figures have yet been passed across to our office.’

‘And I suppose you have’ no idea who put up the money?’

She shook her head. ‘I’m afraid I don’t know. It was all arranged at the Singapore end.’

Sir Lionel nodded and sat down. Mrs Petrie was released from the witness box and she walked back across the court. I saw that her eyes were fixed on someone just behind me, and I guessed it must be Gundersen. Her face was very white and she looked scared.