What We Saw

Chapter Thirty-Three

‘So, you saw Donald Stanton burying the body twelve days ago, is that correct?’

I nodded and looked at the dull, grey walls around me. The police officer in front wasn’t like police officers I’d seen on the telly or in films. He was dressed smart, as if he were going to a wedding, not like a detective. He wrote something in the notepad in front of him.

‘And you didn’t think to report the incident as soon as it happened?’

I shivered, and stared at the closed door in the corner. Adam was in another room somewhere. Maybe this was it. Maybe I’d never see the outside again. It was my fault that Adam had ended up in here. If I’d let Donald get away with Emily, none of this would have happened.

The police officer tapped the bottom of his pen against the table. ‘Liam… it’s really important that you answer these questions. I know it’s hard. You’ve seen some awful things—things no child of your age should ever have to witness. It’s just important that you answer the questions.’

I turned back towards the officer and nodded. My teeth rattled together. ‘We didn’t tell the police because we were scared—I was scared.’

The police officer nodded. ‘Did Mr. Stant—did Donald put you under any pressure to keep what you’d seen a secret?’

I shook my head. ‘No, it wasn’t like that. He didn’t know we knew. Or at least, he didn’t tell us that he knew. Not until last night.’

The officer jotted something else down in his notepad and sighed. ‘You see, some things aren’t adding up. You say you were close to Mr. Sta—Donald, but it seems like you were on to him for a long time. Why did you change your mind and decide to accuse Mr. Beadsley of murdering the girl so suddenly?’

I shivered as he said his name. I couldn’t get the thought of his burning face out of my head. And the pictures on the ground.

‘Is he… is he dead?’ I asked.

The officer tipped his head to one side. ‘Yes, Liam. As is Mrs. Beadsley. There’s no coming back from where they are right now.’

‘And Emily?’

The officer dropped his pen to one side. ‘Emily is somewhere safe. She’s obviously very traumatised and mixed up about what has happened.’ He leaned in towards me. ‘Between you and me, from what I’m told, you saved her life, Liam.’

I felt a lightness hit me and slumped forwards towards the table before the tears began to roll down my face. ‘I just wish it had been different.’

The officer backed into his chair. He glanced at his notepad then left it closed on the table. ‘You can tell me about it, Liam.’

I spluttered and snivelled. ‘I was just trying to be a good cousin. We only wanted a mystery to solve. We were going to tell, I promise we were, but it all got too complicated and I couldn’t do it anymore. And there was everything with Emily, and her dad, and—it’s just too complicated.’

The officer sighed and moved his head from side to side, gently. ‘It’s okay, Liam. You and your cousin haven’t done anything wrong. You’ve done what any kids would have done.’

I sniffed. ‘Can I see Adam?’

The officer smiled. ‘Soon. We have to ask him some of the same things we’ve asked you.’

‘But what if he says something thinking it’s the ri—’

The officer slammed his hand onto the table. ‘Trust me. I’ve dealt with tougher nuts than Adam before.’ He smirked.

I took a deep breath, and looked at my knees. ‘What about Emily? Can I—will I see her?’

The officer rested on his elbows. ‘You see, that’s more difficult, Liam. She’ll need… she’ll need more time. There are things we need to see to. But I’m sure that in the future your paths will cross.’

A lump grew in the back of my throat. I could tell by the way he looked at me that I was never going to see Emily again.

The officer opened his notebook. ‘I want to run through things with you, one last time,’ he said. ‘Some of this might not be pretty, kid, but you asked for it.’

I nodded and felt my chest begin to slacken.

He cleared his throat. ‘Jonathan Beadsley murdered Beth Swanson after abducting her. Donald Stanton caught Jonathan Beadsley in the act. Jonathan manipulated Donald into burying Miss Swanson by blackmailing Donald. Something about Donald killing his daughter some years ago.’

He looked up at me, to check my response, then turned back down towards his notepad. ‘Donald Stanton then became conflicted in his interests. He grew fond of Emily, and she confided in him. Jonathan grew suspicious of you and your cousin’s involvement with Emily and feared she would open up about… about something she wasn’t supposed to.’ He glanced up at me again. ‘You with me, son?’

The bruises. I nodded.

‘Alright. Well, after Jonathan threatened to drop Donald right in the murder frame, Donald kidnapped Emily and planned to run away with her,’ he said. ‘You know the rest.’ The officer slammed his notepad shut and folded his arms together. ‘Does that all make sense now?’

My arms twitched, and my stomach felt floaty. ‘Yes. Yes, it does.’

The officer grinned and nodded. ‘Good. Oh, and there’s something else I need to ask you about. One little inconsistency.’ He chewed at the end of his pen. ‘We have reason to believe from witnesses that your granddad, Dean O’Donnell, was in the woods the day Beth Swanson was murdered. Wednesday 24th. I want as much closure on this case as you, mate, but I need to know if he ever showed any tell-tale signs. Anything suspicious. We’re not asking you if he knew about it, just if he mentioned any weird goings on in the woods that day?’

I remembered the way Granddad had hugged Donald down by the wasteground. ‘Selective deafness,’ I muttered.

The officer’s eyebrows twitched. ‘You what, Liam?’

I shook my head, and smiled. ‘Nothing—sorry. I was just thinking aloud. No, Granddad was always just himself. I don’t think he went out that day because—yeah, that was the day Adam arrived at the caravan site. Wednesday 24th.’

The officer looked at me for a moment, then closed the book in front of him. He stood up and brushed his tie. ‘Very well, Liam,’ he said. ‘If you remember anything, just give me a shout.’

I paused in my chair. ‘You’re not arresting me?’

The officer laughed and pulled open the door. ‘You saved a girl’s life and cracked a case, kid. That’s more than most of the dimwits in here can claim they’ve done.’

I rose from the chair, my legs wobbling, and headed towards the door. Gran and Granddad waited outside. I smiled at the officer and walked towards them, looking into Granddad’s eyes. I nodded at him.

Selective deafness, he’d said.