What Dies Inside Us by Tony J Forder

Author:Tony J Forder [J Forder, Tony]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-10-22T16:00:00+00:00

TWENTY-FIVE

HE CALLED FOR AN ambulance and requested backup from his uniformed colleagues. Two response vehicles arrived shortly afterwards, but the volatile nature of the mob made it seem far longer as time slowed to a crawl. With more officers from the Emergency Response Team on the way to carry out crowd control, he decided to remove Bell from the scene as soon as a pathway had been cleared. His head churned with all manner of dreadful possibilities, and a couple of minutes into the drive he reached a decision he hoped he would not regret.

‘From what I saw, you did some serious damage with that iron bar,’ he said. Patricia Bell stared at him in silence from the back seat, barely blinking. After arresting the girl, he’d secured her hands in front of her with a set of Plasticuffs taken from his equipment bag in the boot of the car. Detaining a person with handcuffs is regarded as a use of force, in this case warranted by Bell’s actions and loss of control. He didn’t believe she presented a danger to him, which is why he had cuffed her wrists to the front, but it was hard to read her current state of mind.

‘He was still out of it when we left the scene,’ Bliss continued, still assessing her demeanour in the rear-view mirror. ‘His brain could be swollen. Might even have a bleed. It’s impossible to know what damage you’ve caused, but we can at least be thankful he’s not dead. Or maybe you’re disappointed about that.’

Still nothing. She was a tough little nut. He knew he shouldn’t be talking to her, but it wasn’t the same as asking her questions. Which he was about to do.

Bliss shook his head. ‘Patricia, we don’t have long before we reach my nick, so let’s not fuck about. I need you to listen to me, and then I need you to respond when I ask questions. I’m going to assume that the kid you just assaulted is the one you believe raped your sister. Let me start by saying that while I understand why you did what you did, you’re in a shitload of trouble. You’re ours for a minimum of twenty-four hours from the time I book you in, and we will keep you for that entire day. We can then request extensions, and we’ll get them. By the time we’re done with you over the course of two or three days, we will have consulted with the Crown Prosecution Service to decide on charging. I can guarantee there’s enough evidence, so you will be charged. We’ll wait it out until we know precisely what that charge will be, because it could yet be murder.’

This time he got a reaction. The teen’s eyes widened and grew serious, her quivering lips parting to draw in air. She was close, but needed a final push. ‘Listen to me, Patricia. Your best chance is if we decide not to charge you. The way things are, I don’t see that happening.

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