Chapter 29 Chapter Twenty Eight

Ben Russell was woken up at 6am to be taken to Southwark East Police Station for questioning, and he protested loudly and for a long time.He said the cops were fascists, he was a sick man, he needed a doctor, he needed a mother, he needed a lawyer. Turning his anger on the nurses on the ward, he snapped, "You should fucking stop them!" He held up his "pistolman" and pointed at two uniformed officers. "I have no reason to do it," she told him. "Dr. Monaghan sees no medical reason to keep you from going. You have been given all the tools and means to control your condition, and you have managed to learn it in the last few days." Self-managing and doing well. We released you yesterday if you agreed to live with your mother."

"Bitch!" The nurse ignored his rudeness, "There is a doctor at the police station who will supervise your daily life while you are being questioned. Your mother and your lawyer will also be there. They allow you to take regular breaks, and both the doctor and your mother Will make sure you take the blood tests for your blood sugar levels as directed and manage your insulin as you are taught." He stared stubbornly at his hand, "If I don't want to go, you can't let me go." "You were due to be discharged this morning anyway. You are still on Dr Monaghan's list and you will continue to attend outpatient treatment, but community service will take place in a youth hostel where you will be cared for by a qualified staff member. This was explained to you yesterday."

"I don't go to any youth dormitories." "You still need a few months of pro bono support." "Why can't you get support here." "You will...as an outpatient...but you can't spend your life in a hospital bed just because you have diabetes. You know all about it. Dr. Monaghan has told you several times that if you refuse to accept your mother's help , the youth dormitory is your only choice." "I love being here." The nurse smiled. "You could have fooled me," she said. "I thought you were in a 'bitch and bastard' hell."

"We're going to give your client all the freedom he needs," Sheriff Jones told Pearson. The lawyer sits across the table. He is as neat and tidy as he is at 8 o'clock in the morning at 8 o'clock in the morning. "If he answered our questions frankly and honestly, the conversation wouldn't be as long and he wouldn't feel as much pressure. It would be best if Ben understood that." Pearson leaned forward to see what was in the pockets on Jones's desk. "You asked him if he ever took a duffel bag down the alley. It's so soft it can't be canvas."

"At that point we could only judge from Lieutenant Ackland's description. Both he and Terrence Black—the man Ben knew as Jock—had confirmed that this was the one your client brought into the alley. bag." He paused, "It's not doing Ben any good to deny it, Mr. Pearson. His fingerprints were found on both cell phones, and the plastic bag that held the bob." "I can see Harry Peel's name on one of the phones. Are you sure it's his?" "yes." "Can I ask, who owns the other one?" "Martin Britton." "If you add that Kevin Atkins phone that you claim was found in Ben's backpack ... it's a full house."

Jones Rottweiler personality emerges, he leans forward aggressively, "This is not a matter of 'claims', Mr Pearson. Your client never denied that he owned that Nokia, He said he stole it two to four weeks before he was admitted to the hospital." The lawyer nodded. "We all know he's lying." "indeed so." "Can you tell me what part you think he played in this case?" Jones rested his elbows on the table, folded his hands under his chin, and stared at the lawyer. "If it's going to help you choose your method of admonishing him, I can tell you this: We don't believe he was involved in any murder."

"But you didn't rule out Walter Tardin's involvement in the attack?" "Not yet." "That means your decision will depend on when and how he got the bag," he pointed at the ball with his chin lifted, "or, more specifically, the weapon." "It would certainly help clarify some of the details." "Ben has told you multiple times that he has no recollection of what happened that day, Sheriff. His doctor also agrees that there was a possibility of deep confusion before he passed out." "I know that." "That might explain why he would deny bringing the bag into the alley. If he didn't know it was there, he wouldn't acknowledge the description you gave. For the same reason, he might not remember how it got there."

Jones shrugged. "Then I have to assume that what he said about Kevin Atkins' cell phone was true. He has a vague memory of who he stole it from, but he carried it on his back for two days." For more than a week, he was not at all fuzzy about it." Pearson smiled faintly. "I think we've agreed that he lied about the Nokia. Can I make that inference? Ben got the bag sometime last Friday afternoon and took a peek at the contents." , transferred to his backpack the only mobile phone he felt was valuable. Harry Peel's was labeled and Martin Britton used a 'pay as you go' system and had to be topped up before it could be used. The fact that my client was still carrying the bag when he entered the alley is the best confirmation of what you have inferred: that he was not thinking clearly. If at any point in his mind he would have thrown it away."

Jones shook his head. "You can't have it both ways, Mr. Pearson. If Ben's sane enough to recognize a decent phone...and then scared enough to give us a Hyde Park guy Come... my safe guess is that he remembers exactly what happened." "Do you have any suspects in the murder?" "It's another way of asking if your client is lying will we know?" The lawyer smiled, "Maybe." "Advise him to be honest with us, Mr. Pearson."