comment." Adrian mumbled, he looked at the floor where his foot tapped against the table leg.
"Adrian wouldn't do that, the girl must be lying," Jocasta said, ready as ever to defend her son.
"Please Miss Brown; you are not here to speak for your son."
"But..."
"You are here to observe that Adrian is being treated fairly but you cannot speak for him."
"It's ok Miss Brown," said the solicitor, "Don't worry, just let Adrian say no comment for now."
It didn't seem right that Jocasta was unable to defend her child when he was in such desperate trouble. She closed her mouth and joined Adrian in looking at the floor. PC Judd went over his initial disclosure line by line, asking Adrian each time, "Do you have anything to say about that?"
"No comment," became the robotic reply. Sometimes Adrian would reply so fast that PC Judd would become agitated and say, "Adrian I haven't asked you the question yet."
It went on in this vein for forty five minutes until the buzzer cut in, informing them the tape was about to come to an end.
"Right I haven't got any more questions, Adrian, do you have anything you wish to add or clarify?"
"No comment."
"Ok, the time is now 13:32 by my watch and this interview is concluded." PC Judd pushed his chair back and walked out of the room without an invitation to follow. Jocasta could see he was frustrated by Adrian's lack of cooperation in the interview. They followed him back into the custody suite and were advised that Adrian would be bailed to return to Olinsbury police station in two weeks' time as they were awaiting the statement from Charmaine.
Jocasta thanked the solicitor who advised her that until Charmaine's statement came through the police didn't really have a case as it was her word against Adrian's. he suggested they wait for the bail return date before he went into any greater detail about what may happen to Adrian should he be charged and go to court. Jocasta got the feeling that Mr Brown had dispensed of his duty where Adrian was concerned and was already focusing on his next client. He didn't seem to believe it necessary to go into great length about Adrian's legal rights or to give any assurances about how the case was likely to go; he just moved them out of custody by placing his arm across Jocasta's back and out through reception into the street.
"I will meet you here on the 24 th October unless you hear otherwise." Mr Brown said, taking his mobile phone out of his pocket as he spoke. Before Jocasta could ask anything more of him, he had turned his back to her and walked off, talking into his phone.
Jocasta, at last alone with Adrian, looked across at his face. He was eye to eye with her now, no longer the little boy she used to look down upon. His hair was messy and surrounded his face, it was as dark as his father's had been and had the sheen to it that most Mediterranean men had in their hair.
Adrian's dirty blue eyes looked obstinately into Jocasta's own, "What happened Adrian?" she asked of him. "Whatever happened we can work through it."
"It's your fault mum."
This was not what Jocasta had been expecting. Tears, yes, denial, yes, but blame? Where had that come from?
"How is it my fault darling? I know you didn't do this, you just wouldn't."
"I just wanted to know what it felt like." Adrian shrugged his shoulders and turned away to hide the grin that came across his face. It was not missed by Jocasta however and had someone shoved a knife into her guts at that very moment, it could not possibly have hurt her any more than the nine words her son had just spoken.
"Adrian, please tell me you don't mean that. Tell me you didn't do it, you didn't hurt that little girl." Conscious of the fact they were still in earshot and eye line of the police station, Jocasta began to walk away leading Adrian by the elbow and taking him to one of the benches on High Street.
"Mum, I didn't hurt her; I just wanted to know what a girl felt like. Everybody else has a girlfriend;
"Adrian wouldn't do that, the girl must be lying," Jocasta said, ready as ever to defend her son.
"Please Miss Brown; you are not here to speak for your son."
"But..."
"You are here to observe that Adrian is being treated fairly but you cannot speak for him."
"It's ok Miss Brown," said the solicitor, "Don't worry, just let Adrian say no comment for now."
It didn't seem right that Jocasta was unable to defend her child when he was in such desperate trouble. She closed her mouth and joined Adrian in looking at the floor. PC Judd went over his initial disclosure line by line, asking Adrian each time, "Do you have anything to say about that?"
"No comment," became the robotic reply. Sometimes Adrian would reply so fast that PC Judd would become agitated and say, "Adrian I haven't asked you the question yet."
It went on in this vein for forty five minutes until the buzzer cut in, informing them the tape was about to come to an end.
"Right I haven't got any more questions, Adrian, do you have anything you wish to add or clarify?"
"No comment."
"Ok, the time is now 13:32 by my watch and this interview is concluded." PC Judd pushed his chair back and walked out of the room without an invitation to follow. Jocasta could see he was frustrated by Adrian's lack of cooperation in the interview. They followed him back into the custody suite and were advised that Adrian would be bailed to return to Olinsbury police station in two weeks' time as they were awaiting the statement from Charmaine.
Jocasta thanked the solicitor who advised her that until Charmaine's statement came through the police didn't really have a case as it was her word against Adrian's. he suggested they wait for the bail return date before he went into any greater detail about what may happen to Adrian should he be charged and go to court. Jocasta got the feeling that Mr Brown had dispensed of his duty where Adrian was concerned and was already focusing on his next client. He didn't seem to believe it necessary to go into great length about Adrian's legal rights or to give any assurances about how the case was likely to go; he just moved them out of custody by placing his arm across Jocasta's back and out through reception into the street.
"I will meet you here on the 24 th October unless you hear otherwise." Mr Brown said, taking his mobile phone out of his pocket as he spoke. Before Jocasta could ask anything more of him, he had turned his back to her and walked off, talking into his phone.
Jocasta, at last alone with Adrian, looked across at his face. He was eye to eye with her now, no longer the little boy she used to look down upon. His hair was messy and surrounded his face, it was as dark as his father's had been and had the sheen to it that most Mediterranean men had in their hair.
Adrian's dirty blue eyes looked obstinately into Jocasta's own, "What happened Adrian?" she asked of him. "Whatever happened we can work through it."
"It's your fault mum."
This was not what Jocasta had been expecting. Tears, yes, denial, yes, but blame? Where had that come from?
"How is it my fault darling? I know you didn't do this, you just wouldn't."
"I just wanted to know what it felt like." Adrian shrugged his shoulders and turned away to hide the grin that came across his face. It was not missed by Jocasta however and had someone shoved a knife into her guts at that very moment, it could not possibly have hurt her any more than the nine words her son had just spoken.
"Adrian, please tell me you don't mean that. Tell me you didn't do it, you didn't hurt that little girl." Conscious of the fact they were still in earshot and eye line of the police station, Jocasta began to walk away leading Adrian by the elbow and taking him to one of the benches on High Street.
"Mum, I didn't hurt her; I just wanted to know what a girl felt like. Everybody else has a girlfriend;
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