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Supreme Court of Western Australia

PERTH

October 15th

Finally, it’s Louise MacFarlane. Or Marie, as she used to be known. I scrutinise her as she makes her way slowly to the stand and confirms where she lives. Turns out she is your sister, after all. I guess you really didn’t lie about everything.

And I can see it now: her blonde roots coming through, the uplifted curve to her top lip, the high cheekbones. But her eyes aren’t like yours. There are no other eyes like yours. As the Bible is handed to her, she turns towards me and glares. Nice, your sister, isn’t she? A real treasure. No wonder she didn’t come and meet you on your release date.

Quickly, Mr Lowe steps between her glare and me, and she finishes her oath. He asks her to state her name and her relationship to you.

‘Sister,’ she says.

Mr Lowe nods. ‘Ms MacFarlane, do you recognise the defendant, Ms Kate Stone?’

‘I do.’

‘Could you tell the jury how you recognise her?’

‘The defendant stalked my brother before he disappeared,’ she says. ‘I saw her, hiding across the road in the bushes like a tramp.’

She has no evidence; it’s her word against mine. Jodie’s calm, impassive face says she’s not worried about it either.

‘Is this the only time you have seen the defendant, Ms MacFarlane?’ Mr Lowe continues.

‘No. I saw her all the time when she had a different name. In my brother’s trial.’

‘Objection!’ calls Jodie, but your sister ploughs on over her.

‘I never trusted her then,’ she says, her voice rising, ‘even though the rest of the world liked her story, I never believed it. Bullshit that Ty kidnapped her, they ran away together, like he said.’

‘Objection, Your Honour!’ Jodie is on her feet. ‘This information is prejudicial to a fair trial!’

But Louise MacFarlane is still going, almost shouting now. ‘She knows how to get what she wants. She manipulates men. She manipulated my impressionable brother, then killed him!’

Impressionable,Ty, you? How do you feel about that one?

‘Ms MacFarlane,’ the judge roars. ‘If you will not answer questions as you are asked, you will be removed from the court.’

Louise blinks, silenced. Mr Lowe is beckoned up to the judge. While they talk, I keep my gaze steady on Louise MacFarlane. So, it’s all my fault, is it, Louise? My fault that sixteen-year-old-schoolgirl-me got kidnapped by your strong twenty-seven-year-old brother? My fault that I got taken to Australia against my will and held there, with the help of drugs and force, for months? My fault that I couldn’t get your brother out of my head? Could never move on? Is it all my fault, too, if I chose to let your brother escape this time, chose to let him go?

I glare back at her; I don’t care what the jury thinksif they’re watching. It’s all I can do not to shake my head and raise my middle finger. Louise MacFarlane should be grateful to me. If she could only imagine the revenge I could have inflicted.

Louise MacFarlane apologises to the judge, continues to answer questions about the rehabilitation program you joined, your commitment to getting your life back on track.

‘Tyler did not want to run away,’ she says. ‘His disappearance is out of character. My brother was significantly changed by what had happened to him, and he wanted to put things right in his life. This is the truth. He was trying to find a new path, away from his past.’

But truth is slippery, isn’t it, Louise, and truth can change? And we all have a version of it.