Page 112 of Vengeance is Mine

‘Have you spent the night here?’

‘Do I really need to answer that?’ Terry asked, yawning, stretching, running his fingers through his knotted hair.

‘I suppose not. Have you considered having your post redirected?’

‘You’re a funny man, Adam. What can I do for you?’

‘The bloke who was brought in last night for driving into that bus stop, Andrew Dickens. He’s been ranting and raving since gone three. He says he wants to talk to you. Normally, I’d wait until regular hours but as you’re not normal?—’

‘Thanks.’

‘—I thought I’d give you a nudge and see if you wanted to speak to the gobshite now, before I have to charge myself with GBH.’

‘Put him in an interview room. Give me five minutes to have a coffee and a wash, and I’ll come down.’

‘Five minutes? That’s optimistic, isn’t it?’ He left before Terry could say anything.

‘Interview with Andrew Dickens at seventeen minutes past six on Thursday, the sixteenth of January 2020. Those present are myself, that’s Detective Inspector Terry Braithwaite…’ Terry turned to the PC by the door.

‘PC Ben Kent.’

‘And…’

Terry indicated towards Andrew.

‘Andrew Dickens,’ said Andrew.

‘Mr Dickens, for the benefit of the recording, I’d like you to state that you’ve requested this interview at this time and have not been pressured into it.’

Andrew cleared his throat. ‘No. No pressure. I wanted this interview.’

‘Once more for the benefit of the tape, do you wish to have a solicitor present?’

‘No. Let’s just get on with it.’

‘Right, let’s begin.’

‘I know I said I wouldn’t grass on my mates, but there’s no way I’m going to be sent down for something I didn’t do. I didn’t see Dominic’s parents coming up the path, and if you say his mother’s dead, then it obviously wasn’t her. My mate would be able to give you a better description.’

‘Okay. Who are your mates?’

He took a deep breath, clearly still unsure if he was doing the right thing. ‘Paul Cummings and John Wheatley.’

‘Do they work with you at the supermarket?’

‘Yes.’

‘Whose idea was it to go round and give Dominic a hiding?’

He looked down. There was obvious regret for his actions.

‘It was a joint thing.’

‘About what happened last night. Why did you crash into that bus shelter?’

Andrew shook his head. ‘I wasn’t thinking straight. I haven’t been thinking straight since we… since New Year’s Day. I must have lost concentration or something. I don’t know. I… I can’t believe… I can’t believe I had it in me to…’

‘Kill a man?’ Terry suggested.