Location: Sunnydale police station

"Sir, what's your name?"

No response, a slight hint of someone shuffling a chair.

"My name?"

"Yes, sir."

"William - William Atherton."

"Mister Atherton, how did you get involved in the events at Revello Drive?"

Some tapping on the table. More shuffling.

"I'm a - I was. Me and Buffy we ... know one another."

"You were in a relationship with her?"

"No! Sort of. Bugger it, we used to have something. Just not"

"It was complicated?"

"Yes"

"Mister Atherton."

"Call me Spike, everyone does."

The flicker of a lighter clicking open.

"Yes, mister ... Spike. It's not allowed to smoke inside the building."

"Balls."

A rustle of paper.

"You were - acquainted with the youngest Summers as well?"

Silence.


"Spike, we know the neighbours claim you used to be a regular visitor at the Summers household only that your presence lessened over the course of last year?"

"I they used to let me baby-sit Dawn. After Buffy didn't think it would work for me to keep doing that."

"Why?"

"BuggerShe thought I was a bad influence I guess."

"A bad influence?"

Silence for a few moments.

"Uh, you know. Hanging out with the wrong crowd, didn't have much use for my friends. Guess she thought I'd keep Dawn up all night listening to Ramones and such things."

Another click of the lighter.

"She never did have an ear for music."

"Mister Atherton."

"It's Spike damn it! Spike."

"Spike when you came in, why did you head upstairs, leaving the door open?"

No response.

"The neighbours claim the only noise they heard was the music, so what made you head upstairs?"

"Well them bloody bastards weren't at the bloody door now were they?!"

Uncomfortable silence.

"I just heard something, thought I heard the bit, Dawn. I went upstairs and Buffy ... she was there, hitting Dawn. She loves that kid, she'd never harm her, only she was. I pulled her back and she looked at me as if I were the monster. What the bleeding hell was I supposed to do, can you tell me that? I love those girls and to find her like that. If she needed to let of steam she could use me, she could always use me. Why'd she have to hurt the bit?"

"So miss Summers had shown this kind of behaviour before."

Another few moments of silence.

"Mister Atherton."

"NO!!!" A beat. " She's normally the kindest woman you can find, well other than to ... She would never harm a human, it's not like her. It's not like her at all."

"Is it mister Atherton? I have a written testimony of how you were seen all bruised and battered only two months ago. Was that miss Summers as well. Were you allowing her to vent on you then?"

"Shut up, you don't have a clue, you don't have a frickin' clue, so just shut the bloody hell up!"

"Or maybe mister Atherton you wanted to make her pay, you wanted to punish her. And the only way to do that-"

"You're wrong."

"The only way to do that was hurt her in the worst possible way, by making her hurt the child, making her feel guilty. Is that what happened Mister Atherton?"

"HOW DARE YOU!"

A loud banging of something metallic hitting the floor. Then a low sound in between a snarl and a growl.

"I would fight heaven and hell from harming Dawn, no matter who attacked her. I love that girl, both of them."

Scared breathing.

A low shifting sound.

Something scraping the floor followed by a scream.

"God have mercy, please no, don't, I have a wife and three children, I can't please don't"

End of tape.

Added notes: -Officer McCarthney and officer Stevens are still refusing to report what happened
-Due to lack of evidence, the SD authorities were forced to release mister Atherton