'Your, honour,' started James 'the prosecution would like to enter into evidence the aforementioned tape.'

The judge nodded in agreement.

'This tape was recorded at Lakeshore hospital in Chicago. The interview was conducted by social worker Mary Jane Scott and the victim being interviewed was Lieutenant Matthew Casey at this time known as Matthew Henderson, aged seven. This evidence was intended to be presented in the original trial of the defendant Callum Henderson which never took place.' Stated James for the benefit of the jury.

A court marshal took the tape from James and placed it in the television which had been set up at the front of the courtroom.

The screen lit up and the image of a blank looking interview room emerged on the scene, the only objects present in the room were one table and two metal chairs one of which was occupied by a small boy who was curled up in an even smaller ball, his knees tucked into his chest his thin arms wrapped around them with his toy truck clutched in his hands, his legs tucked between into his chest and his knees touching his chin, tufts of dirty blond hair the only part of his head visible parts of which were matted with dried blood. As Mary entered the room Matt curled himself up into an even smaller ball as if he was trying to disappear into the chair.

'Hello Matthew, my name is Mary Jane Scott, I'm your social worker.' Said Mary, speaking softly to the boy as though he was a wounded animal that needed saving. 'Can you tell me why we had to bring you into the emergency room today?'

Mary received no reply so she continued with he gentle questioning 'The people who live next door to you told me that they heard you crying and shouting for help from their house. Why did you need help Matthew?' asked Mary again, after receiving nothing more than silence for the second time she tried again 'Okay then Matthew, can you tell me why you ended up in the closet, who put you in there, was it your stepfather, Callum?' after her third question went unanswered Mary began to worry that maybe the unresponsive boy before her may in fact actually be unconscious. She reached over and tapped him on the shoulder, but she soon realised that the boy was not unconscious, as soon as Mary had touched Matt he flinched away from her violently, as he did this he was forced to uncurled himself from his coiled position on the chair and his face was revealed to the camera.

The audience in the court room sat in shocked silence as they saw the face of the young boy on the screen. Matthew's face was covered in bruises, a black eye marred the skin covering most of the right side of the kid's face, his lip was split and there was a stitched up cut running along his right cheek that looked like it would surely leave a scar.

'I'm sorry,' mumbled Matt in a whispered voice almost too quietly to be heard.

Mary's heart broke at the sight of the young fragile boy before her, begging for forgiveness.

'It's ok Matthew, I'm sure you didn't do anything wrong.' Replied Mary trying to comfort the now crying boy before her. 'I was just checking to make sure that you were okay. Do you think you can help me answer some questions about what happened today?'

Matt shook his head vigorously not wanting to reveal what had happened, he knew that his stepfather would be even more angry than he already was if he did. Seeing that Matthew wouldn't open up that was Mary tried a new tactic to try to get the small child to trust her and hopefully reveal what had happened to him.

'Are you hungry Matthew?' asked Mary softly, hoping to win the boy's trust that way. 'Do you want me to get you something to eat?' Matthew's eyes lit up after he heard this, not wanting to pass up on food in case he didn't get the chance to get eat anything any time soon. He hadn't gotten anything to eat since his new daddy had locked him in the closet and by now he was very hungry. Even though he was still scared that it might be some sort of trick that the lady before him was playing on him, he nodded his head tentatively in the hopes of getting to eat something before Callum turned up and took him away again.

Mary left the room and returned ten minutes later with a cheeseburger and fries from the cafeteria along with a bottle of water. Mary saw Matt's bright blue eyes that had previously looked empty, hollow and tortured light up at the sight of the food. Despite this he made no movement to reach for the food that was being offered to him, Matt restrained himself from grabbing the food before him hungrily for fear of the repercussions.

'It's okay Matthew, go ahead. Nobody is going to take it away from you, it's yours.' said Mary desperately urging the little boy before her to eat the food.

Within five minutes of reaching for it Matt had devoured the food before him, his actions were worrying Mary who was now concerned about how long it had been since little Matthew had gotten anything to eat.

'Matthew, do you think that you can answer some of my questions now?' asked Mary. After receiving a tentative nod from the small child she continued with her soft questioning. 'Can you tell me when you last got given anything to eat?'

The seven year old boy shrugged, unsure of how he was meant to reply without getting a punishment dished out at him by Callum, 'I don't know.' answered Matt in a shy, almost inaudible voice.

'Was it before you ended up in the closet?' asked Mary, Casey nodded in reply 'How long ago was that, Matt?'

'Callum put me in there on Monday, he left on Wednesday, I don't know where he went. Sorry I didn't mean to say it wrong…I'm sorry I promise I won't do it again.' Apologised Matthew profusely.

'What do you mean? You didn't say anything wrong.' Mary reassured Matt.

'I'm not allowed to call him Callum,' explained Matt. 'He said I have to call him daddy. But he's not my daddy, my real daddy is dead, my mommy killed him, it was my fault.'