“The accusations against your brother are very serious.” The male detective finally speaks up.
“I am aware.” I say acerbically. “I’m also aware that they are brought against him by a woman who drinks half a bottle of vodka before you even get out of bed in the morning.” I growl. I’m losing patience fast.
“Tell me. Have you tracked down Ms Simmons?” Claudia intercepts.
“No. We are still looking for her.” The woman presses her lips together.
“So what you are telling me, is that it is the word of a woman with a criminal record and several drunk and disorderly charges, against the word of a solicitor and a businessman. I should mention that neither have any prior convictions. You have arrested my client without anything to hold him.” Claudia smiles…like a shark. “This entire situation is a farce. You have no grounds or evidence to hold Mr Parker. This case is a joke, it won’t even make it to trial.” She sneers. “You have. No. Case.”
“Perhaps, but if I have no case, then why is Miss Parker being so evasive?” The woman says.
“Miss Parker has come into the station of her own free will.” Claudia replies.
The detective says nothing, just holds Claudia’s hard stare. The atmosphere in the room feels tense. My eyes flick back and forth between them. It’s like watching two big cats face off against each other. I glance at the other detective. He seems just as uncomfortable as I am.
“If that’s all, my client is now leaving.” Claudia says coolly.
“We will need you to make a statement. I know you want to help your brother.” The woman says in a voice that just pisses me off.
I stand and push my chair back. I lean over the desk so my eyes are level with the gnarly woman’s.
“I want to see my brother.” I snap.
“We can hold your brother for up to forty eight hours. That means we still have twelve hours. He will then be…”
“Yeah, I went to law school, I know how it works.”
“Then you know you can’t see him.” The guy adds.
I want so shove my erect middle finger in his face. These cops are fucking dicks.
Claudia and I leave the interview room before I follow the urge to start making offensive gestures. I make a statement. It’s half a page long.
Claudia follows me to the car. “Well, that was interesting.” She says as she pulls her packet of cigarettes from her bag. “You realise you’re making it look as though you have something to hide. If you give them extenuating circumstances then they may let him off. If they dig deep they’re going to find the evidence they need to prove that you and your brother have been living in Bournemouth since you were fourteen. Ergo, not at your mother’s home in Kent.”
“I don’t have anything to hide, but they’re looking to hang him. If I admit that he and I left my mother’s home together, then they are going to arrest him. They don’t care about circumstances. Plus, I neither confirmed nor denied their allegation.”
She inhales a long drag of her cigarette. I can tell she’s unhappy with the situation, and she may think I’m not helping Harry, but she doesn’t know what I know. I’m protecting him as best I can. I can only hope that it works. “Well, this won’t make it to court. There is one thing though…”
“What?”
“If your mother comes back then she may have more evidence. As long as she’s MIA then it’s the word of a disappearing drunk against yours and your brother’s. The case will get thrown out. You need to tell Theo to make sure she stays gone.” She cocks an eyebrow at me. “Get him to put security on it.” Security? What the hell? Theo has security?
I stash that comment away for later, I’m not going to get into this with her. “Okay. Thanks for your help, Claudia.” I say as I turn away from her. I open the car door and climb up into the huge Range Rover.
I just sit for a while. Guilt eats at me. I can’t stand the thought of Harry in a cell. I hate that I can’t help him. I hate that those detectives are judging him, treating him like a criminal when he is anything but. It’s so unjust that he’s being punished like this.
He must feel so alone in there. I bite the inside of my cheek as tears threaten. Harry is my weak spot. I would sooner be in that cell than have to think of him in there.
My phone rings. The screen lights up with Molly’s name. “Hey.” I say quietly.
“Where are you?” She asks.
“I’ve just come out of the police station.”
“Oh shit. You okay?” She asks quietly.
“Yeah, I think so.” I’m okay. I’m sad, but I’m okay. I will get Harry out of these sham charges, one way or the other.