CHAPTER TWO - THE INTERVIEW
Jeff was sat in a chair in what seemed to be an almost empty room. He knew there was his chair, a table and at least one other chair, but the room was small and he had encountered no other furniture.
"We have to confirm some details, first, for the official taped record of this interview.
"Will you confirm that you are Jeffrey Nero Hardy?"
Jeff nodded. "Yes."
"Will you please state your date of birth?" Jeff did as he was asked.
"We wish to talk to you about a series of events which occurred during a six month period between the 9th of October 1991 and the 26th of April 1992. Do you agree that you have come here of your own free will?"
"I hasn't exactly made my day but I wasn't kicking and screaming about it."
There was silence. "Yes." Jeff stated.
"You have the right to refuse to answer any questions, but I would like to remind you that withholding information from the police is a criminal offence." Jeff nodded to show that he understood.
"You were let me see, about 15 during that period?" The officer half questioned, half stated.
"That would be about right."
"And what was your address for that period?" Jeff complied. "That would mean you were living with your father and your brother?"
"Yes." Jeff spoke through clenched teeth knowing what they were trying to implicate.
"That would be Matthew Moore Hardy."
"Yes."
"...and are you aware of the allegations that have been brought against your brother in connection to the events during that six month period?"
"I am aware."
"And you realise that you are a potential suspect as an accomplice?"
"Are you gonna keep asking me these stupid questions?" There was once again silence. "Well...gee...I dunno I thought you brought me here for tea and cakes. Yes I know I'm a suspect. Damn."
"Can you tell me where you were on the following dates?" The policeman reeled off a list of dates.
"It was 11 years ago...ok any Tuesdays I was probably at football practise until 5. Matt would pick me up and I would probably be at home for the rest of the night, but otherwise I have no idea."
"Would your brother, Matthew Moore Hardy, have been at home with you these nights?"
"Sometimes, sometimes my brother, Matthew Moore Hardy, would have gone out, sometime I went out." Jeff spoke with mock shock in his voice.
"What about the night of the 26th of April?"
"I don't know." Jeff was exasperated.
"You don't recollect anything unusual on that date."
"NO!"
"Mr Hardy, I have here a copy of medical records. It states, as your friend will be able to assure you, that you were admitted to hospital with a puncture wound to your abdomen on that date. Admitted to hospital by your brother Matthew Moore Hardy." Jeff looked to Jay.
"It says it."
"I remember that, I just didn't remember the date."
"Can you tell me how that happened? The accident I mean."
"I was practising a wrestling move in the backyard."
"By yourself?"
"Yes...I was on the trampoline. I jumped off something, a ladder probably, but I miss judged it and fell from the trampoline landing on a fence, which stabbed into me."
"Your medical record states that glass was found in the wound."
"...I pulled myself off and made it into the house, where I slipped and fell, I grabbed out on the way but only knocked a bottle, a glass bottle onto the floor. It probably broke."
"What happened next?" the policeman's voice had the air of an adult listening to the blatant lie of a child.
"Well I guess the noise got Matt's attention. All I know is he appeared by my side and took me from the hospital."
"Was he already in the house or did he just arrive?"
"I don't know, I'd just impaled myself on a fence, I wasn't exactly lucid."
"What time was this?"
"I'm not sure, about 8.30 9 o clock ish. I don't really know."
"And could Matt have arrived home just in time to find you on the floor?"
"I don't know I was in pain and bleeding."
"Is it possible that Matt had just arrived home?"
"I told you I don't know; it could have been an alien in Matt's shape for all I remember."
"So it may not have been Matt?"
"It WAS Matt but I do NOT know where he was before that time."
"How long do you think it took from the time you fell from the trampoline until your brother got you to the hospital? Approximately."
"Approximately 30 minutes."
"Could you be more specific? How long from when you fell until when you made in inside? How long in the car until you arrived at the hospital? How long until you were seen by a doctor?"
"10 minutes to get inside, 15 to get to the hospital and 5 until the doctor." Jeff spoke wearily.
"It says here that you had immediate attention from a doctor."
"Well maybe time seems low when your on your way to bleeding to death."
"You said 15 minutes to get to the hospital."
"That's what it felt like."
"Do you drive often to the hospital from your residence of the time?" "It was the only time I went."
"Well I drove it yesterday. Do you want to know how long it took me?"
"Oh goodie. Please enthral me."
"27 minutes"
"Well you're a policeman, do something. The traffic is horrendous these days."
"I drove it at 12.30pm when there was almost no traffic on the road."
"Did you have someone bleeding in the back of your car? I can imagine that that would tend to decrease the time it took to arrive."
"So let's add up these new timings, zero minutes until a doctor, 7 minutes in the car and 5 minutes to get inside; that would make 32 minutes."
"That's not far off what I said. Is this leading somewhere? I'm bored."
"I refer once again to your medical report Mr Hardy. Do you remember any consequences of that day?"
"I've got a scar I can show you."
"How about the investigation into whether you were sufficiently safe and cared for by your father?"
"He's a great father. They found nothing." Jeff burst to his father's defence.
"The results of the investigation are irrelevant to me. What is relevant is the cause. According to the opinions of 2 separate medical professionals it would have taken a minimum of 2 hours to lose the amount of blood you did from the wound you received. That would leave the accident happening between 6.30 and 7pm. During which time, a young offender was seen by a witness being stabbed in the abdomen."
Jeff was sat in a chair in what seemed to be an almost empty room. He knew there was his chair, a table and at least one other chair, but the room was small and he had encountered no other furniture.
"We have to confirm some details, first, for the official taped record of this interview.
"Will you confirm that you are Jeffrey Nero Hardy?"
Jeff nodded. "Yes."
"Will you please state your date of birth?" Jeff did as he was asked.
"We wish to talk to you about a series of events which occurred during a six month period between the 9th of October 1991 and the 26th of April 1992. Do you agree that you have come here of your own free will?"
"I hasn't exactly made my day but I wasn't kicking and screaming about it."
There was silence. "Yes." Jeff stated.
"You have the right to refuse to answer any questions, but I would like to remind you that withholding information from the police is a criminal offence." Jeff nodded to show that he understood.
"You were let me see, about 15 during that period?" The officer half questioned, half stated.
"That would be about right."
"And what was your address for that period?" Jeff complied. "That would mean you were living with your father and your brother?"
"Yes." Jeff spoke through clenched teeth knowing what they were trying to implicate.
"That would be Matthew Moore Hardy."
"Yes."
"...and are you aware of the allegations that have been brought against your brother in connection to the events during that six month period?"
"I am aware."
"And you realise that you are a potential suspect as an accomplice?"
"Are you gonna keep asking me these stupid questions?" There was once again silence. "Well...gee...I dunno I thought you brought me here for tea and cakes. Yes I know I'm a suspect. Damn."
"Can you tell me where you were on the following dates?" The policeman reeled off a list of dates.
"It was 11 years ago...ok any Tuesdays I was probably at football practise until 5. Matt would pick me up and I would probably be at home for the rest of the night, but otherwise I have no idea."
"Would your brother, Matthew Moore Hardy, have been at home with you these nights?"
"Sometimes, sometimes my brother, Matthew Moore Hardy, would have gone out, sometime I went out." Jeff spoke with mock shock in his voice.
"What about the night of the 26th of April?"
"I don't know." Jeff was exasperated.
"You don't recollect anything unusual on that date."
"NO!"
"Mr Hardy, I have here a copy of medical records. It states, as your friend will be able to assure you, that you were admitted to hospital with a puncture wound to your abdomen on that date. Admitted to hospital by your brother Matthew Moore Hardy." Jeff looked to Jay.
"It says it."
"I remember that, I just didn't remember the date."
"Can you tell me how that happened? The accident I mean."
"I was practising a wrestling move in the backyard."
"By yourself?"
"Yes...I was on the trampoline. I jumped off something, a ladder probably, but I miss judged it and fell from the trampoline landing on a fence, which stabbed into me."
"Your medical record states that glass was found in the wound."
"...I pulled myself off and made it into the house, where I slipped and fell, I grabbed out on the way but only knocked a bottle, a glass bottle onto the floor. It probably broke."
"What happened next?" the policeman's voice had the air of an adult listening to the blatant lie of a child.
"Well I guess the noise got Matt's attention. All I know is he appeared by my side and took me from the hospital."
"Was he already in the house or did he just arrive?"
"I don't know, I'd just impaled myself on a fence, I wasn't exactly lucid."
"What time was this?"
"I'm not sure, about 8.30 9 o clock ish. I don't really know."
"And could Matt have arrived home just in time to find you on the floor?"
"I don't know I was in pain and bleeding."
"Is it possible that Matt had just arrived home?"
"I told you I don't know; it could have been an alien in Matt's shape for all I remember."
"So it may not have been Matt?"
"It WAS Matt but I do NOT know where he was before that time."
"How long do you think it took from the time you fell from the trampoline until your brother got you to the hospital? Approximately."
"Approximately 30 minutes."
"Could you be more specific? How long from when you fell until when you made in inside? How long in the car until you arrived at the hospital? How long until you were seen by a doctor?"
"10 minutes to get inside, 15 to get to the hospital and 5 until the doctor." Jeff spoke wearily.
"It says here that you had immediate attention from a doctor."
"Well maybe time seems low when your on your way to bleeding to death."
"You said 15 minutes to get to the hospital."
"That's what it felt like."
"Do you drive often to the hospital from your residence of the time?" "It was the only time I went."
"Well I drove it yesterday. Do you want to know how long it took me?"
"Oh goodie. Please enthral me."
"27 minutes"
"Well you're a policeman, do something. The traffic is horrendous these days."
"I drove it at 12.30pm when there was almost no traffic on the road."
"Did you have someone bleeding in the back of your car? I can imagine that that would tend to decrease the time it took to arrive."
"So let's add up these new timings, zero minutes until a doctor, 7 minutes in the car and 5 minutes to get inside; that would make 32 minutes."
"That's not far off what I said. Is this leading somewhere? I'm bored."
"I refer once again to your medical report Mr Hardy. Do you remember any consequences of that day?"
"I've got a scar I can show you."
"How about the investigation into whether you were sufficiently safe and cared for by your father?"
"He's a great father. They found nothing." Jeff burst to his father's defence.
"The results of the investigation are irrelevant to me. What is relevant is the cause. According to the opinions of 2 separate medical professionals it would have taken a minimum of 2 hours to lose the amount of blood you did from the wound you received. That would leave the accident happening between 6.30 and 7pm. During which time, a young offender was seen by a witness being stabbed in the abdomen."