Page 35 of Child's Play
‘So, you told the police that he was out hiding something in the garden and then went straight upstairs to clean himself up? Is that correct?’
‘Yes, the bastard went and washed the blood—’
‘And you saw that? The blood, I mean?’
‘Well… no… but…’
‘So, he may have just run upstairs because he was desperate for the toilet?’
‘No way. He was—’
‘But he could have done.’
‘No, it was—’
‘And you’re sure this was 11p.m.?’
‘I looked at the—’
‘It couldn’t have been 10.45?’
‘I fucking told—’
‘Or 10.40?’
‘I know what—’
‘How do you know it wasn’t 10.35?’
‘I can tell the fucking—’
‘And you remember all this clearly?’
‘Objection, your honour,’ called the prosecution. About forty seconds too late in Penn’s opinion.
He understood the team was giving her a moment to collect herself, rein in her temper. Think before saying something she’d later regret.
‘Sustained,’ said the judge offering the defence barrister a warning look, which he acknowledged.
‘So, you are sure of your memory of all those events on the night concerned?’
‘Yes,’ she growled.
‘And there is no doubt in your mind?’
‘No,’ she spat.
‘Then please explain to the court why your original statement, the one closest to the actual event, states that your husband was home with you all night?’
‘I was confused,’ she said, colouring.
Most jury members were frowning yet riveted.
‘Confused about the date, time, your husband’s whereabouts, which is it, Mrs Nuryef?’
‘Yes, no, I mean…’
‘Four days after the murder of Devlin Kapoor you stated that your husband was with you at the time, yes?’
