Page 36 of Child's Play

‘I had the wrong date. I couldn’t recall…’

‘Aah, you couldn’t remember exactly but you gave your husband an alibi for the murder?’

‘I assumed he was at home.’

The colour in the woman’s face had spread down her neck towards her breastbone.

‘Aah, you assumed. So, your memory is not to be trusted?’

‘No, I remember it clearly now. He was—’

‘You remember events more clearly now, months after the event, than four days later?’

‘Yes, I do,’ she snapped as the hostile defensiveness wiped out the nervous red stain on her skin.

‘So, you would have no ulterior motive in changing your story?’

‘Why would?…’

‘Nothing happened in the time between you changing your statement?’

She shook her head as though not trusting herself to speak.

‘Please answer the question.’

‘Nothing happened.’

‘No arguments?’

‘Nothing.’

‘No physical fights?’

‘I already said.’

‘I’m sorry, Mrs Nuryef, but I put it to you that your memory has failed you once again, or that for some reason known only to yourself you are perjuring yourself on the stand.’

‘I am telling the truth. He did it. I know he did.’

‘I put it to you, Mrs Nuryef, that you are telling barefaced lies to the court for some reason.’

‘He’s the fucking liar not me,’ she screamed, pointing at her husband and looking in his direction for the first time. ‘He’s the one who has been lying for fucking years.’

Her eyes were filled with hatred and her tongue dripped venom as her gaze locked on her husband.

‘I fucking hate you; now rot in hell you lying, cheating bastard.’

Penn let out the breath he’d been holding throughout that exchange.

It was over and the courtroom was silent.

Penn didn’t need to look at the prosecution, the defence or the jury to gauge how much that had hurt them.

It had kicked them in the nuts.

Twenty-Four

Halesowen College began its life in 1966 as one large building. In the early Eighties four more blocks were added and in the years since a further eight blocks had been added to incorporate Sports Studies, Media, Music and Performing Arts, ICT, Science and Animal Care. In addition, the college had a Science and Technology centre at Coombswood and a Hair and Beauty facility right by the Shenstone traffic island.