dumblonde76 - i can't wait until that creep gets busted!
patience is a virtue ;0)
LibraryTech - Oh Boy!!...He met the Aunt!!..Poor lady...Poor Tom...And the dad..everybody is freaking out over Tom!!..I hope Tom finds out the whole story about his Mom and her sister!!
He will eventually (well when i've decided exactly what it is).
Winged Golden Tiger - Whoa... Alison's reaction to Mackenzie was great: It's always good to see a furious mother attacking the one who harmed her family. but her reaction to Tom was intense. It was good, really great. Poor Hanson: to have his aunt, who he's still resenting for not helping him in his childhood, falling to pieces before him must be hard to see...
Try to update soon as I want to see what will happen at the gathering and what Mackenzie will do to him.
I did enjoy making him get his ass kicked. hehehe is it wrong to really hate one of my own characters? I have finished writing that chapter but i'm going to make you wait cos i'm evil!
A Sparrow's Soul - Wow... i didn't expect anything like that to happen with Nikki's mum. I actually thought she'd figured out that 'Tammy' was Tommy. That threw me!
And Tom and Nikki's mum reactions, just at the first look, glance, 'meeting' Its whoa, some brillaint writing.
"She looks just like my Nikki" she said, walking as if in a daze. "Just like my Nikki" -That's pure heartwrench, the write words to capture such a tormenting, touching moment.
And i feel so sorry for Sam, so sorry for him.
"This is all wrong" - There's a lot of raw emotion in that
"...taking it seriously" that was a low call by fuller.
A great chapter, full of heart wrench and even little moral. Beautiful luv, really.
Aww thank you xx. Alison's a bit too messed up at the moment to realise (well that's what I was going for ;0) ). I always thought a lot of what Fuller said to Hanson was a little below the belt, just to get a reaction from him. I must have rewritten this chapter at least 5 times so I'm glad you all liked it.
And as always thanks Ghostwriter xx
I feel bad for neglecting Harry so he's getting a chapter all to himself, and ,as I said, I'm evil so I'm going to make you wait to find out what happens with Hanson and Mackenzie.
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Father Mackenzie was sat in his office going over the budget for that semester when a young man and two police officers entered the room.
"Can I help you officers?" he said with a bright smile.
"Sean Mackenzie?" said the young oriental looking man in the brightly coloured silk shirt.
"Yes."
"I'm Officer H.T Ioki. We'd like you to come down to the station. There are a few questions we need to ask you regarding Nicola Stokely."
"It was tragic what happened to that poor girl but I hardly see how I can help."
"There have been some allegations made against you that we'd really like your help in clearing up."
"I'm sure we can clear it up here officer."
"I'd rather we cleared it up downtown."
"Surely we can..."
"Mr Mackenzie, if you won't come willingly we can have you arrested." Harry snapped.
"That won't be necessary, officer." Mackenzie said rising from his chair.
"That's good to know" Harry said with a sarcastic grin as the two uniformed officers led Mackenzie from the room.
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With Captain Fuller already known to Mackenzie as Adam Heyward, Briody was called in to sit in on the interview. He stood behind Harry looking down at the priest with cold eyes. Mackenzie was sat across the table, his hands folded and looking absolutely calm and composed.
"So tell us about your relationship with Nikki." Harry said, his tone matter of fact.
"There was no relationship. She was a student at my school."
"According to some of her friends she spent quite a bit of time around you these past few months."
"She was having a hard time and she wanted someone to talk to. That's all there was to it."
"There have been allegations made against you by a number of your former students." Briody said.
"Yes." he said calmly.
"These allegations are of sexual assault and harassment." Briody said. "Would you like to explain that?"
"Those accusations were thrown out and those students shown as the attention seeking liars they are." Mackenzie said seeming genuinely offended.
"No smoke without fire Father." Harry said. "We have witnesses saying that you were harassing Nikki Stokely for months prior to her death."
"I wasn't harassing her officer, I was helping her through a difficult time. She was pregnant at 18 years old, her mother was ill, she was under a lot of pressure and her father wasn't there to help so she came to me. It was all perfectly innocent officers."
"So you knew she was pregnant?"
"Yes."
"Why would she tell you and not her parents?"
"She felt she couldn't, with her mother being ill she didn't want cause anymore stress."
"Were you the father?" Harry asked. "There are people quite willing to testify that you are."
"Don't be ridiculous officer. She was one of my students."
"Well, according to our records and a number of present students that hasn't put you off before." Briody spat.
"One of your students, Emily Carter has spoken openly to one of our officers about an incident in the school's general office in which she claims you strangled and raped her." Harry told him.
"As I already told you and as you will know, these accusations were dismissed. The girl is a fantasist"
"Nikki's English teacher has told one of our officers that Nikki was called out of all but one of her lessons in the last month in order to speak to you in your office. Why?"
"Her grades were slipping. As I've said..."
"She was having a difficult time. Yes we heard."
"I was discussing the possibility of her getting a tutor to help her keep up."
"Do you have a name for this tutor?" Briody asked
"No, she refused the offer."
"Imagine that." the older captain said sarcastically.
"Why did you withdraw $10000 from your account two weeks ago?" Harry asked casually. After a second of shock registered in the priest's eyes, Mackenzie smiled slightly before replying.
"Car payments officer."
"It's a bit suspicious that on that same day Nikki Stokely opened an account paying in $8000 in cash don't you think?" Harry said. "Now where would an 18 year old girl get $8000?"
"Maybe she got a job and was saving up." Mackenzie said simply.
"She didn't have a job." Harry informed him bluntly. "You don't think any of this looks supicious?"
"Coincidence, that's all. It's also rather thin Officer Ioki. I told you what that money was for."
"Car payments, yeah?" Harry said.
"We're going to need to see a receipt for that." Briody said coldly
"Certainly."
"You've got an answer for everything don't you?" Briody spat.
"Have you seen Nikki's parents? They're in quite a state." Harry said coolly. "Religious man like you would want to do whatever you can to ease their pain right?"
"Of course".
"Well how about telling them what happened to their daughter."
"If I could help officers I would. But I have told you I have nothing to do with this tragedy. As far as I can tell, a pregnant 18 year old got scared and overdosed on drugs. Now I suggest you people let her folks grieve in peace."
Harry leaned forward and looked directly into Mackenzie's eyes.
"I have a feeling you know a lot more than you're letting on, and believe me, we will find out what you're hiding."
"Are you finished? I know my rights, and if you don't have any evidence other than circumstance and the feverish imaginings of disturbed teenaged girls then I suggest you let me go."
"You're free to go Father." Briody said, "But I expect we'll see you soon."
"Captain?"
"Sign him out Ioki" Briody said firmly
"But..."
"Did you not hear me?"
"Yes Sir." he replied throwing a withering glance at Mackenzie.
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"You're not really buying that are you?" Harry asked Briody after reluctantly releasing Mackenzie. "Not after everything Penhall and Hanson have told us?"
"No I'm not buying it. I think he's just as guilty as you do, but not of murder. This girl was pumped full of crack, simple as that. Anyway, like he said we can't hold him on hearsay and coincidence."
"We know he's the baby's father."
"No, two very distressed teenagers have told us their dead friend said he was the baby's father. Look, Ioki, once the DNA tests are back we'll have evidence. Then whatever he did or didn't do we've got him for statutory rape."
"That doesn't help Emily Carter and the others he's attacked does it?"
"You can't win them all Ioki. All you can do is try and hope that you'll win most of them." he said kindly.
"Sometimes it feel like we're fighting a loosing battle." Harry said sadly.
"Nature of the job. Hey, don't worry about it. Once in a while you get to make a difference and it makes this all worth it."
"I hope you're right" Harry said with a sad smile.