Irene drummed her fingers across the reception desk, to the annoyance of the Front Desk Officer. She had been waiting half an hour already and no one had told her what was happening with Nick. No one seemed to have a clue.
"Mrs Roberts?"
She turned to face Carter
"That's me"
"Nick is being kept in custody whilst we conduct some enquiries"
Nick had revealed all that he knew in his interview. Not that it was much, but it was enough to convince Carter that Rhys was hiding something. He doubted Nick had had much to do with it. Intentionally, anyway.
"Oh, come on, he's a kid, he's not capable of murder"
Irene looked at him in disbelief. Surely Nick wasn't going to be falsely accused. Not again.
"He lied to the police, Mrs Roberts - It's a crime in itself"
"He's not going to be charged is he?"
"It's unlikely - the fact that he admitted it will work in his favour... that's all I can tell you right now"
.................................
10 mins later
"Birkett, we're off to have a word with Rhys Sutherland"
The younger man grabbed his coat as Carter disappeared out of the door. As they rushed down the hallway, another policeman approached them, addressing Carter.
"We've done a few enquiries regarding Mr Phillip's car"
"Go on"
"It was parked at the car park by the wharf - as you know Mr Phillips owns a house nearby - and apparently last time he used it was only about an hour prior to the incident... now we've spoken to the security guard - he came on shift at six - and he says that he saw someone acting suspiciously in the area"
"We get a description?"
"Yep - the description given matches the one and only Rhys Sutherland"
"I guess we better go have a word with him"
Carter stood, a smile forming on his face. Solving an attempted murder would certainly do wonders for his career.
.................................
Kirsty grabbed her coat from the hallway and Rhys watched her dismally. He didn't think he needed to ask where she was going.
"I'm gonna go to the hospital"
Rhys frowned, holding back his objection. Kirsty had made it crystal clear earlier that she wasn't going to have him control her. A knock on the door put an end to the tension between father and daughter, and Rhys headed to the front door, where he found Carter and Birkett waiting, arms folded.
"We'd like to go over your statement again Mr Sutherland"
"I really haven't got time"
"Then make time, this is an attempted murder enquiry... would you mind telling us again where you were at the time of the incident"
Rhys looked at them, exasperated.
"I've already answered all these questions!"
"If you told us the truth then maybe we'd get somewhere"
"This is ridiculous! I haven't done anything wrong!"
Carter frowned.
"We need you to accompany us to the station to answer some more questions for us"
Kirsty watched from the hallway, bewildered.
"No! I've got things to do here - a family to look after... I can't just leave"
"In that case - Mr Sutherland, I'm arresting you for the attempted murder of Kane Phillips..."
Rhys stared at him, stunned, as Carter recited the caution. He could see Kirsty's look of shock and disgust out of the corner of his eye as she walked closer. Just looking at him. Trying to work out why. Why he had tried to ruin her happiness. He looked at her in desperation.
"Kirsty! It wasn't me... you've got to believe me"
She shook her head, lost for words. She just felt ill. To think that that her Dad could go to such lengths to destroy her happiness was unbearable. She managed to make it as far as the kitchen sink before keeling over, throwing up violently.
Carter glanced in her direction, frowning.
"You'd better stay here for a while Birkett"
He nods.
"Yes Sir"
Carter leads Rhys out to the car, opening the back door as Rhys climbs in, head bowed down, not quite comprehending what had happened.
"I didn't shoot him"
"We'll discuss this down at the station Mr Sutherland - on the record"
He slammed the back door shut before climbing into the drivers seat, glancing through the mirror at Rhys and turning the engine on. Rhys looked up dismally at his house as the car rolled away down the road. He just needed a chance to explain to his family.
"Mrs Roberts?"
She turned to face Carter
"That's me"
"Nick is being kept in custody whilst we conduct some enquiries"
Nick had revealed all that he knew in his interview. Not that it was much, but it was enough to convince Carter that Rhys was hiding something. He doubted Nick had had much to do with it. Intentionally, anyway.
"Oh, come on, he's a kid, he's not capable of murder"
Irene looked at him in disbelief. Surely Nick wasn't going to be falsely accused. Not again.
"He lied to the police, Mrs Roberts - It's a crime in itself"
"He's not going to be charged is he?"
"It's unlikely - the fact that he admitted it will work in his favour... that's all I can tell you right now"
.................................
10 mins later
"Birkett, we're off to have a word with Rhys Sutherland"
The younger man grabbed his coat as Carter disappeared out of the door. As they rushed down the hallway, another policeman approached them, addressing Carter.
"We've done a few enquiries regarding Mr Phillip's car"
"Go on"
"It was parked at the car park by the wharf - as you know Mr Phillips owns a house nearby - and apparently last time he used it was only about an hour prior to the incident... now we've spoken to the security guard - he came on shift at six - and he says that he saw someone acting suspiciously in the area"
"We get a description?"
"Yep - the description given matches the one and only Rhys Sutherland"
"I guess we better go have a word with him"
Carter stood, a smile forming on his face. Solving an attempted murder would certainly do wonders for his career.
.................................
Kirsty grabbed her coat from the hallway and Rhys watched her dismally. He didn't think he needed to ask where she was going.
"I'm gonna go to the hospital"
Rhys frowned, holding back his objection. Kirsty had made it crystal clear earlier that she wasn't going to have him control her. A knock on the door put an end to the tension between father and daughter, and Rhys headed to the front door, where he found Carter and Birkett waiting, arms folded.
"We'd like to go over your statement again Mr Sutherland"
"I really haven't got time"
"Then make time, this is an attempted murder enquiry... would you mind telling us again where you were at the time of the incident"
Rhys looked at them, exasperated.
"I've already answered all these questions!"
"If you told us the truth then maybe we'd get somewhere"
"This is ridiculous! I haven't done anything wrong!"
Carter frowned.
"We need you to accompany us to the station to answer some more questions for us"
Kirsty watched from the hallway, bewildered.
"No! I've got things to do here - a family to look after... I can't just leave"
"In that case - Mr Sutherland, I'm arresting you for the attempted murder of Kane Phillips..."
Rhys stared at him, stunned, as Carter recited the caution. He could see Kirsty's look of shock and disgust out of the corner of his eye as she walked closer. Just looking at him. Trying to work out why. Why he had tried to ruin her happiness. He looked at her in desperation.
"Kirsty! It wasn't me... you've got to believe me"
She shook her head, lost for words. She just felt ill. To think that that her Dad could go to such lengths to destroy her happiness was unbearable. She managed to make it as far as the kitchen sink before keeling over, throwing up violently.
Carter glanced in her direction, frowning.
"You'd better stay here for a while Birkett"
He nods.
"Yes Sir"
Carter leads Rhys out to the car, opening the back door as Rhys climbs in, head bowed down, not quite comprehending what had happened.
"I didn't shoot him"
"We'll discuss this down at the station Mr Sutherland - on the record"
He slammed the back door shut before climbing into the drivers seat, glancing through the mirror at Rhys and turning the engine on. Rhys looked up dismally at his house as the car rolled away down the road. He just needed a chance to explain to his family.