Jay sooner or later and perhaps it would be best to trust Mr. Nesbitt, I've seen you on television,” she explained. “Please come on in."
Tom opened the door to admit them and then closed it. “We'll go into the living room,” he said.
The room was comfortably furnished and Mrs. Williams gestured for them to take a seat. Ben sat on the sofa and Cassie, after carefully placing her camera on the floor, came and sat beside him.
Tom stood next to his wife by the fire and she looked at them curiously.
"Perhaps you'd best tell us why you're here,” she said.
Ben decided to be honest with them. “You'll have heard about young Sophie Anderson who was involved in a road accident on Friday."
Tom nodded and then Ben saw the realisation in his eyes. “You think it was Jay who healed her and covered her in that blue light, or whatever it was?"
"Yes. She did it again tonight,” Ben said, “and someone recognised her. His son goes to Jay's school."
"I don't understand,” Mrs. Williams said. “Why would the police be interested in Jay healing people?"
Ben explained about the fight and how Jay had helped both her boyfriend and the lad with the cuts from the glass. “It's unlikely in my opinion but the police might want to press charges against her for GBH or assault."
"You can't report any of this,” Tom said. He became agitated and started to pace around the room. Finally he came over and gripped Ben's arm. “Don't you understand? If any of this gets out then she's going to become hounded by people wanting her to heal them or their loved ones. She'll be presented as some kind of freak. It might make good television or newspaper headlines but what will it do to her?"
Ben looked the old man in the eye. “Cassie and I reached the same conclusion, but we're reporters and it's our job to report the news.” He held up a hand to stem Tom's reply. “However, we're as concerned about the affect of the story on Jay as you are, and this is what I think we should do. We do an anonymous interview with both of you and Jay in such a way that there's no way anyone can identify your family. That way the story's out in the open and if necessary we can take out a court injunction to stop any other news agency from identifying or harassing you or Jay."
"Can you do really do that?” There was a glimmer of hope in Tom's eyes.
It was Cassie who answered. “Once the story has been published the other reporters can't claim that releasing your details is in the public interest. The courts don't take kindly to young girls being harassed. As for the fight, I think we could make a good case for self defence, especially as one of them had a knife."
"But it has to be your decision,” Ben said. “Will you trust me and Cassie, or not?"
Tom released Ben's arms and turned to his wife. “I think we should, Anna. What about you?"
Before she could answer the door opened and a girl, who Ben guessed was Jay, walked in.
She looked apprehensively at him and Cassie. “Who are you and what do you want?” she asked.
Chapter 7
There was only one of the gang still detained in the hospital and all of the others had said they didn't want to make a complaint. The boy in the hospital denied that he'd been thrown through the shop window.
"I tripped and fell,” he said, “and you can't prove that I didn't. I've never seen that girl before."
Rebecca could have told him about the film from the security camera but she didn't. If he wanted to pretend it was an accident that was fine by her. It would help to keep the crime figures down, and besides for some reason, reasons she couldn't quite understand, all her instincts were screaming at her to protect the girl.
On the way back to their car, Rebecca paused. “Hmmm, I've been thinking, perhaps she had some kind of adrenalin rush. You know, like those women you hear about who've actually lifted up cars to free their kids."
Shaun nodded in agreement. “That must be it,” he said, “otherwise we'd
Tom opened the door to admit them and then closed it. “We'll go into the living room,” he said.
The room was comfortably furnished and Mrs. Williams gestured for them to take a seat. Ben sat on the sofa and Cassie, after carefully placing her camera on the floor, came and sat beside him.
Tom stood next to his wife by the fire and she looked at them curiously.
"Perhaps you'd best tell us why you're here,” she said.
Ben decided to be honest with them. “You'll have heard about young Sophie Anderson who was involved in a road accident on Friday."
Tom nodded and then Ben saw the realisation in his eyes. “You think it was Jay who healed her and covered her in that blue light, or whatever it was?"
"Yes. She did it again tonight,” Ben said, “and someone recognised her. His son goes to Jay's school."
"I don't understand,” Mrs. Williams said. “Why would the police be interested in Jay healing people?"
Ben explained about the fight and how Jay had helped both her boyfriend and the lad with the cuts from the glass. “It's unlikely in my opinion but the police might want to press charges against her for GBH or assault."
"You can't report any of this,” Tom said. He became agitated and started to pace around the room. Finally he came over and gripped Ben's arm. “Don't you understand? If any of this gets out then she's going to become hounded by people wanting her to heal them or their loved ones. She'll be presented as some kind of freak. It might make good television or newspaper headlines but what will it do to her?"
Ben looked the old man in the eye. “Cassie and I reached the same conclusion, but we're reporters and it's our job to report the news.” He held up a hand to stem Tom's reply. “However, we're as concerned about the affect of the story on Jay as you are, and this is what I think we should do. We do an anonymous interview with both of you and Jay in such a way that there's no way anyone can identify your family. That way the story's out in the open and if necessary we can take out a court injunction to stop any other news agency from identifying or harassing you or Jay."
"Can you do really do that?” There was a glimmer of hope in Tom's eyes.
It was Cassie who answered. “Once the story has been published the other reporters can't claim that releasing your details is in the public interest. The courts don't take kindly to young girls being harassed. As for the fight, I think we could make a good case for self defence, especially as one of them had a knife."
"But it has to be your decision,” Ben said. “Will you trust me and Cassie, or not?"
Tom released Ben's arms and turned to his wife. “I think we should, Anna. What about you?"
Before she could answer the door opened and a girl, who Ben guessed was Jay, walked in.
She looked apprehensively at him and Cassie. “Who are you and what do you want?” she asked.
Chapter 7
There was only one of the gang still detained in the hospital and all of the others had said they didn't want to make a complaint. The boy in the hospital denied that he'd been thrown through the shop window.
"I tripped and fell,” he said, “and you can't prove that I didn't. I've never seen that girl before."
Rebecca could have told him about the film from the security camera but she didn't. If he wanted to pretend it was an accident that was fine by her. It would help to keep the crime figures down, and besides for some reason, reasons she couldn't quite understand, all her instincts were screaming at her to protect the girl.
On the way back to their car, Rebecca paused. “Hmmm, I've been thinking, perhaps she had some kind of adrenalin rush. You know, like those women you hear about who've actually lifted up cars to free their kids."
Shaun nodded in agreement. “That must be it,” he said, “otherwise we'd
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