Chapter 29 Chapter Twenty Eight

Bannerman quickly interrogated Frank, then Joe, and it wasn't difficult: the police had no evidence, no witnesses against the kids, no specific instances.It was just an illegal pre-trial cross-examination.He spent 20 minutes with each of them, asking where they were the night Sarah was killed, who could prove it, what they were wearing that night, whether they had ever been to where Mom worked, what do they think the ashtray, Egg cups and where did that watch come from. Both boys were at home at dusk that day, and they both went out later. Because the police have not yet determined the time of Sarah Errol's death, the possibility of committing the crime cannot be ruled out for the time being.None of them had ever heard of money in the house.

McKechney had gone home angrily, but Morrow and McCarthy were still in the observation room, watching every move in the interrogation room.Kay sat first beside Joe and then beside Frank.They noticed that she was feigning composure for the sake of the children, as if brutal murder trials at midnight were commonplace.On several occasions when the children looked terrified, she repeated the same words: "They just need to know it's not you, son, so they can find the real killer." Joe was well behaved, meeting Bannerman's gaze, trying to communicate with Goby, answering his questions many times, but not dispelling his doubts about himself.

Although Frank is only one year younger than Joe, compared to Joe, he seems very immature.He was too terrified to answer questions, just scowled and glared at them, Kay had to encourage him several times.He should be more confident, because he has an alibi: he's been working, delivering pizzas to restaurants, and he's been in the car the night of the incident with a fat guy named Tam.They needed two, because Tam was the owner's brother-in-law, and he needed the job, but he was too fat to climb the stairs, so he gave Frank part of his salary to run errands.Frank earns £10 a night and gets a slice of pizza at the end.

When the interrogation was over, Bannerman told Frank and Kay that he would see them again, but that they could go home tonight.At this moment, Moreau intuitively concluded that they were innocent.She knew what it was like when a family member was shielded: no eye contact, rehearsed answers to important questions, often echoing each other. It was already midnight, and Bannerman turned off the tape recorder, took out the tape, and put it in the evidence bag.McCarthy came to the corridor to show the Kay family the way, leaving Morrow alone to stare at the remote monitoring screen. Bannerman and Gorby stood up, stretched their legs, took their jackets off the back of their chairs, and put away their files.McCarthy waited at the door, and Kay put his arm around Frank's shoulders and made him stand.

"What's going on?" she asked. Bannerman said in a magnanimous tone, "You can go home." "How to go home? I didn't bring my wallet." Frank looked at her and said, "I have a bus pass, Mom." "But will it get me home? And Joe," she looked at Bannerman expectantly. "How do I get home?" She wants to be sent home.They will never do that. Bannerman put on his coat and was almost at the door, "Can't you take a taxi and pay when you get home?" McCarthy touched Kay's elbow and nodded for her to go out. "My family lives on the eighth floor, and the taxi driver won't let me get off."

"Let the kids go upstairs to get the money, and you stay in the car." Bannerman and Gorby squeezed past her and Frank, disappearing into the darkness of the corridor. Morrow turned off the radio in the car. She had an early morning flight to London, a 6:30 a.m. flight, and was supposed to be home, but she couldn't just drive past Kay and the kids.The lot is wild.The bare walls without doors and windows formed dark alleys, and patches of wasteland were overgrown with wild shrubs and weeds.This is not a place suitable for walking at night.She saw them, Kay in the middle, two boys, one on each side, all three hugging each other on the dark road, Kay's head tilted forward, shoulders slumped.They took the straightest road, but it was another 4 miles to get to Kasimik.Kay had no money for the ride.

Moreau stopped in front of them and put the handbrake on.She closed her eyes and took a breath.They won't give her a good look. When he opened his eyes again, Morrow saw Joe looking at her through the car window, frowning.She nodded to the backseat.He stood up and discussed with his mother in a low voice.Kay bent down and stared at Moreau in the car, her eyes wet and angry, and then she stood up again and said something to the children. Frank opened the passenger seat door, leaned forward, and asked, "What do you want to do?" "I'll take you home." He slammed the door shut, but instead of leaving, they were whispering something.Moreau watched Kay adjust the strap of the handbag on his shoulder with his hands.

The rear doors opened and Joe went up first, next to the window, then Kay and Frank.They closed the doors and fastened their seat belts one by one. No one spoke until Rutherglen was reached.Moreau dared not look in the rearview mirror.She wanted to turn on the radio, but feared that some cheerful song would come out of it, which would make her look even more ruthless. At last, Joe said suddenly, "You are a nice fellow." "Shut up," Kai whispered. "But the truth is, mother, she's decent." "Fucking bastard." Kay didn't specify who in the car was the fucking bastard, but she didn't need to.

This section feels very long.At one point Kay was crying, sniffing, careful not to make too much noise.Morrow looked in the rearview mirror out of longstanding habit, and saw Frank's arm sliding over Mom's shoulder, soothing her.Moreau looked away.She could have been home by now, could have hugged Brian in the warmth of her bed.She was sorting through the threads in her head, coming up with valid reasons, convincing herself that she was just working and she was making these tough choices for Sarah. When the car finally reached the steps leading from the main road to the high-rise apartments, Kay said, "Just get off here," as if she was taking a taxi.

Moreau was too tired, so she said nothing and pulled the car over to the side of the road. Frank opened the door and climbed out before Morrow had even applied the handbrake, Kay following him, and Joe getting out of the car without saying anything wasn't really Joe. "I really think you've done a decent job, thank you!" Moreau pulled off the curb without waiting for them to open the door to the first-floor lobby, and turned away, a little too quickly.