Letting out the Worms: Guilty or not? If not then the alternative is terrifying (Kitty Thomas Book 1 by Sue Nicholls (primary phonics .txt) 📕

the house in Crispin Road. She had slammed the window shut in fright and run downstairs to be near her mother. Afterwards, Paul’s anguish when she closed the window and shut him out had haunted her. For a while, she had woken, screaming in the darkness, her dreams a muddle of her guilt and Paul’s anger. With the benefit of maturity, she realised she had shut Pop out because she needed time to come to terms with her new perception of him. Sitting here with the limp paper in her grasp, she felt seven years old again. The same emotions overwhelmed her. She was angry. Angry with him for putting her through that. ‘I don’t want to read any more,’ she said.

‘OK. We can stop for now.’

‘Can we have a break? Go for a drink?’

In the pub they sat on either side of a small table and stared in silence over each other’s shoulders. The drink did not help, so when they had finished one round, Kitty said, ‘I don’t know about you, but I need to sleep.’

Sam gave a half smile. ‘Yeah. I should get back too.’

Back at her flat, Kitty made photocopies of the court transcript. She would read it when she had processed today’s revelations. She turned on the television, and with Countdown chattering in the background, sagged onto the cushions and into a healing sleep.

Later, with a dry mouth and stiff neck, she switched off the gabble on the television. Her mind was clearer, but she needed to take stock. One grew up with a set of assumptions. Was it possible hers were wrong? Had she always suspected something bad in Paul and buried it away? Even wondering this seemed disloyal. She reached for the papers and read the rest of D.I. Robins’s testimony about Paul’s lurking outside their house.

D.I. Robins: Further investigation revealed cigarette ends containing Mr Thomas’s DNA in those bushes. Three other witnesses, Mrs Margaret Stonier of 22 Gressingham Avenue, the road that runs down the side of Gressingham playing field, Mrs Gloria Adu and Mr Michael Adu, both known to the defendant, witnessed him on other occasions, emerging from the park onto Gressingham Road. The defendant has a history of violence, and Mr Owen-Rutherford’s notes from their sessions revealed that he was obsessed with his wife. He became angry at the mention of her name. He blamed her for their breakup, and as soon as he found she was re-marrying, booked an expensive flight to pursue her.

When he arrived at the hotel in Mauritius, where the Owens were staying, he spoke to the manager rudely and displayed aggressive behaviour.

Fitzsimmons: Thank you, Inspector. Now if we may, we will hear a little more about Mr Thomas’s violence…

 

Kitty turned to Porterhouse’s cross-examination of Robins.

 

Porterhouse: You say that at the beginning of March, Mr Thomas committed an act of rape on Ms Sabrina Roman, of 63 Crispin Road.

DI Robins: That’s correct.

Porterhouse: Did the police receive a complaint from Ms Roman to that effect?

DI Robins: No. Ms Roman never reported the incident.

Porterhouse: Was there any subsequent DNA evidence?

DI Robins: We found Thomas’s fingerprints at the house, but no semen.

Porterhouse: And Ms Roman is now deceased?

DI Robins: Yes. She was murdered. We were already investigating Mr Paul Thomas for her murder when he was arrested in Mauritius.

Porterhouse: Any evidence of rape on the corpse?

DI Robins: Ms Roman drowned and spent some considerable time in the water. Her body was badly damaged.

Porterhouse: Not so badly that you couldn’t tell she had been attacked and forcibly drowned. The arrest in Mauritius was just what you needed then. A very convenient corroboration of what you already suspected.

DI Robins: We carried out a thorough investigation into Mr Thomas’s movements, as I’ve already stated.

Porterhouse: Ah yes, so you did, into the movements of Mr Thomas, but did you check on Mr Rutherford’s movements? Was his DNA behind the bushes opposite that house in Crispin Road? Were his notes made at the time of his interviews with my client, or later? Did you investigate those things, Detective Inspector?

DI Robins: No, we did not, but…

Porterhouse: So, in fact, you have no evidence that my client committed rape, no evidence he pushed Mrs Owen over that cliff, and no evidence that Mr Owen-Rutherford wrote his notes at the time of his consultation with Mr Thomas. I think it is safe to say that you have no case against my client.

No further questions, My Lord.

Fitzsimmons: The prosecution calls Paul Thomas.

 

Oh Lord. Here we go. Breathe, Kitty.

 

Fitzsimmons: Would you tell the court why you consulted Mr Owen-Rutherford, Mr Thomas?

Thomas: I was angry. I blamed Fee – my ex-wife for our breakup and the cold-hearted way she walked out with Kitty, my daughter. I was bad tempered at work, and Iris, a colleague, told me to get help with the anger.

Fitzsimmons: You were angry, weren’t you? You beat up two men, frightened your daughter with your violence and raped a woman.

Thomas: I did not rape anyone.

Fitzsimmons: Well, Mr Thomas, according to the notes made by Mr Owen-Rutherford at the time of your consultation with him, you admitted to the rape, denying responsibility and insisting she led you on.

Thomas: I did not rape Twitch.

Fitzsimmons: Well, I suppose you would say that, knowing there is no evidence to prove it.

Thomas: I did not rape her.

Fitzsimmons: Do you deny that you broke a man’s foot in a brawl?

Thomas: I don’t deny that. I was defend…

Fitzsimmons: Thank you, Mr Thomas. And how about your neighbour, whose music player was ruined, did you hit him?

Thomas: I’m afraid