The Twisted Knot by J.M. Peace

again. The anger and frustration had clearly affected Wendy and Kayleen in different ways. There was something menacing about Wendy. Sammi could imagine her bailing up Peter Woodford with a rifle or a butcher’s knife.
    â€˜We need to have the victim, or their family, come forward and tell us what has happened,’ Sammi explained ‘Although I’m not disregarding what you’re telling me, it is not enough for police to act on.’
    â€˜No more bloody excuses,’ Wendy said in the same low voice.
    â€˜It’s not an excuse,’ Sammi countered. ‘We need to know at least who the victim is. Can you tell me who the victim is, please?’ She looked at both women. She felt sure they knew more than they were letting on. ‘If you can tell me then I can follow it up. It would probably be counter-productive to speak with Woodford when we have no basis on which to take any action.’
    â€˜We told you our story so you’d understand how hard it is for the victim. We’re talking about a young girl here,’ Wendy said.
    â€˜If you can tell me who it is, I can do so much more. Even if I can just talk with them,” Sammi interjected. She was certain they knew who it was.
    â€˜It’s so hard on a child. We saw how scared and confused Janey was, how long it took her to be able to even tell us what had happened, much less the police. You can’t expect parents to subject their child to that. Surely it would be easier this time because you can use Janey’s case to show he’s done it before,’ Kayleen said, a note of pleading in her voice.
    â€˜Unfortunately, you can’t raise past history in relation to a new offence. Especially if he didn’t get charged. It’s not permissible in court. That’s the way the system works. It’s not up to us.’ Sammi’s response was a duck and a weave. An answer without saying anything.
    â€˜That’s bullshit. And you know it,’ Wendy said.
    â€˜Whether I agree with it or not is beside the point,’ Sammi said. ‘The legal system doesn’t allow for us to say “he must be guilty because he’s done it before”. The magistrate can only take past history into account in sentencing if they’re found guilty.’
    â€˜And if they’re never found guilty?’ Wendy didn’t even bother to hide her anger.
    â€˜It’s an imperfect system. But that’s all that we – the police – have to use. And I’m sure Shane did everything he could within the constraints of that system,’ Sammi added. Sammi’s own words sounded hollow to her. There were so many things bothering her about this conversation – her frustration at not finding out the name of the victim, the uselessness of the system she was bound by, the threat of violence simmering under Wendy’s words.
    â€˜There has to be something you can do to remove that the dirty bastard from town,’ Wendy said.
    â€˜I’m so sorry. But I can’t guarantee that.’ More weasel words. ‘We’ve got so little to go on and police are only a part of the process anyway,’ Sammi explained. She desperately wanted to know who the victim was, to find out the facts, know for sure what police could or couldn’t do in this case.
    Wendy stood up. ‘We’ve told you what’s going on. You pass it on to your boss. Sort it out. It won’t be tolerated for much longer. You saw how many people turned up here this morning, how angry they were. You want people to become vigilantes? Because that’s what you’re forcing us to do.’ Wendy turned to Kayleen. ‘Come on. We’ve had our say.’
    The two of them filed out of the interview room and then out of the station.
    Once they had left, Sammi breathed out heavily as if she’d been holding her breath the whole time. Her heartbeat thundered in her ears. Without looking at Mel, she walked