Page 78 of Child's Play
The man had given up. He’d shouted his innocence for months and had now accepted his fate whether he was guilty or innocent.
‘Give me something, Gregor,’ he said.
The man opened his hands. ‘What do you want? If I’d known this was gonna happen I’d have invited the whole street round to give me an alibi. It was a normal fucking night. Two knackered parents vegging out in front of the telly, barely speaking once the kids had gone to bed. I could hardly keep my eyes open. Normal night and there’s only two people who can confirm that. One is dead and the other is a lying fucking—’
‘She’s changed her story again, Gregor,’ Penn offered.
His busy mouth fell open. ‘She’s what?’
‘Gone back to story A. Says you were with her the whole night.’
Words appeared to fail him.
‘She’s offered no further explanation and she seems scared of something, but to be honest we can’t trust a word she says.’
His head fell forward as though he couldn’t even be bothered to summon any hope.
‘There’s something else,’ Penn said, knowing he was divulging too much but he had to see the man’s reactions.
Gregor lifted his head.
‘The eye witness testimony isn’t as reliable as we thought.’
‘How could it be?’ he asked, incredulously. ‘That fucking crim couldn’t have seen me cos I wasn’t bloody there.’
Penn chose not to divulge that Ricky Drake couldn’t actually have seen anyone. That was one fuck-up too far on their part.
‘But that brings me to the tee shirt, Gregor,’ Penn said, heavily. They came back to that every time.
‘Never seen it before,’ he said, shaking his head.
‘That doesn’t wash, man. The victim’s blood was found on an item of clothing in your shed.’
He took a deep, defeated breath. ‘Don’t matter how many different ways I try to say it. I swear to you that I didn’t put it there.’
Penn combed his fingers through his hair. ‘You gotta give me more than that. Look, I know you’ve got no reason to trust me, but work with me here. Anybody else giving you a chance to speak lately?’
Gregor regarded him for a full minute.
‘You really serious about this? You really looking at this with your eyes open this time?’
‘It’s why I’m here.’
‘I got nothing that’s gonna help you one way or another, but I’ll tell you the whole bloody truth and you make your own mind up.’
‘Go on.’
‘You find the tee shirt?’ he asked.
Penn nodded. ‘I did the outside search.’
‘Where was it?’
‘Back right, furthest corner from the door.’
‘What did you have to move to get in?’
Penn thought back. ‘Pair of stepladders, a couple of kids’ bikes, storage boxes.’
