Evidence Chapter 13
5th Witness - DI Alex Drake
Alex closed her eyes momentarily and breathed, deeply and slowly, before opening them again.
In her career she had been in court more times than she cared to remember, but never before as a defendant.
She wasn't one for nerves but even she had to admit that, on this occasion, she was very much on edge.
The evidence she would give today, and how the jury would perceive her, would have a huge bearing on the rest of her life. More than anyone in this court could possibly imagine.
To try and give the jury a good impression, Alex had attempted to appear as best as she could.
The time in prison had taken a hard toll on Alex and Jill had spent the evening trying to help Alex look as presentable as possible.
Alex had selected a top that did not allow her bra strap to be visible, something she felt might not be well received in a court room.
The final touch was something Alex had been thinking about doing for some time. Her hair had been difficult to maintain in the prison so, on Jill's advice, she had finally arranged for a trim.
Before she knew it, the perm was gone and Alex had seen a reflection looking back at her that she felt the court would see as appearing more professional than her previous appearance.
The consequences of a guilty verdict went much further than the inevitable life sentence that would be handed down.
Alex's nerves caused her pulse to race at that very thought.
Those two words "life sentence" raced about in Alex's mind.
Although "life" didn't generally mean life, it could mean anything up to twenty or thirty years, maybe even more.
But her bigger concern was Molly.
If this 1981/2 world was leading her somewhere, if there was a chance of something happening which would one day lead her to waking up back in the real world, then she would finally be reunited with her beloved daughter once again.
A guilty verdict would inevitably derail that possibility. If that happened then Alex would not only spend the next thirty-odd years in prison for a crime she didn't commit, but she would spend the next 30-odd years longing for the precious daughter she might never see again.
Alex looked around the court.
She hadn't failed to notice the members of CID who had seated themselves in the public gallery, Gene, Ray and Chris. Shaz must still be on duty.
She missed them terribly every day - missed Gene stomping around CID verbally labelling her "Bolly Kecks", Ray puffing away on his ciggie instead of working and Chris being a sandwich short of a picnic.
Alex then looked to Jarvis as he shuffled some paperwork in readiness.
He had been to see her in the court cells already that morning as she had sat waiting for the proceedings to begin.
He had enquired if she was okay. Was she ready? Was she feeling confident?
He had told her to just look at him and answer his questions, to ignore everybody else in the court room.
"Just focus on me", he had said, "and you'll be fine".
Alex knew all of this from experience, but she had felt comforted by Jarvis taking the time to prepare her to give her evidence.
"Ms Drake", Jarvis began, "Could you please tell the court how you first came into contact with the Price family?"
Alex took a moment to take in a breath before she spoke. Focus.
"Caroline Price was representing a young man suspected of having involvement in threats made against the Docklands developer Daniel Moore", Alex truthfully explained.
"And did you two hit it off well?" Jarvis continued.
"We didn't see eye to eye, no", Alex again answered truthfully.
"Is it accurate to say that you argued with Caroline Price?" Jarvis asked.
"Yes, that would be accurate", Alex nodded, "I was trying to persuade our suspect that it would be better for him to confess now and I felt Caroline was doing nothing but blocking me. I appreciate that is...was...her job, but I felt that she was simply being difficult because of her dislike of the Police".
"And is it right to say this argument became somewhat heated?" Jarvis quizzed, "ending with a little name calling?".
Alex bit her lip.
"I did call her a rude bitch yes", Alex admitted, "but it was in the heat of the moment after Caroline herself had made some equally unprofessional jibes regarding my working for the Metropolitan Police".
Jarvis nodded. This was good.
"How would you describe your relationship with the Price family?" Jarvis proceeded and nodded to Alex for her to answer.
Alex thought before answering. There was a lot to remember, many months worth.
"I didn't meet Tim until very shortly before the bombing", Alex answered.
"Then please tell the court of your relationship with Caroline Price", Jarvis prompted.
"Caroline was..." Alex collected her thoughts, "Caroline was strong willed, passionate about truth and justice. I admired her belief that women can hold down just as successful careers as men, even in positions of power".
"So you harboured no ill will towards any of the Price family?" Jarvis asked.
"None whatsoever", Alex reassured Jarvis.
Jarvis waited a moment before moving on.
"I would now like to move on to your arrest of Tim and Caroline Price for possession of narcotics on October 9th 1981".
Alex nodded in understanding, knowing this might be awkward to explain.
"As we have heard from DCI Hunt, the Prices were released because the evidence against them could not be found. Can you explain this to the court?"
Alex closed her eyes momentarily, composing both her words and thoughts.
"I wish I had done things differently that day", Alex said somberly.
"How do you mean?" Jarvis quizzed, "please go on...".
Alex looked around briefly.
"The drugs were not theirs", Alex admitted, "I was so concerned about the car bomb plot that I decided to remove Tim and Caroline from harm's way".
"And what did you do?" Jarvis asked.
"I took some evidence - cocaine - from another case and used it as cause to arrest the Prices" Alex continued, "I had to get them safely out of the way and that seemed the most efficient method. Nobody could get to them if they were safely locked away at the station".
There was silence and Jarvis nodded to Alex for her to continue.
"I tried to explain. I was trying to save their lives", Alex said with great sincerity in her voice, "I thought if they were in our protective custody then the bomber wouldn't have a hope of harming them".
"But the Prices were released", Jarvis continued.
"Yes. On October 10th", Alex nodded looking down as she remembered the events, "I put the cocaine back with the evidence that I took it from, that's why they were released...There was nothing to link to them".
"I see", Jarvis said as he looked towards his client, "And what happened next?".
"I received a telephone call in CID"
"And who was it from?", Jarvis asked.
"Arthur Layton", Alex answered truthfully, "he was taunting us, taunting me, that he was out of prison".
"What happened then?"Jarvis prompted Alex to continue her story of the events of that day.
"After the telephone call it would seem everyone started to realise that the bomb plot was real - that I wasn't following up a dead lead", Alex continued, "Myself and DCI Hunt rushed to find the Prices' at the courts but we only found Evan. He told us where they were so we hurried to Ash Street, near the girls' school".
"And?" Jarvis prompted.
"If we had just been faster....even by ten seconds", Alex broke her eye contact with Jarvis and looked down, ".....if we had just got there sooner....it might have all been different..."
Alex bit her lip and took a breath.
She hadn't gone over the events of the car bombing in such great detail before and doing so was not easy.
The bombing itself had played over in her memory, time and time again, but she had never before had to talk people through the events that had changed her life so drastically at such a young age.
To Alex, it felt like pouring salt into a wound.
Jarvis waited patiently for several moments, allowing Alex to calm herself.
"When you're ready", he said in a softer tone.
Alex nodded.
"We arrived at the entrance of Ash Street to find a lorry blocking the road. It tried to turn around, I tried to gain the drivers attention but it stalled", Alex continued.
Jarvis nodded.
"I ran around the lorry. I had to get to the Ford Escort, gain their attention, anything just to get them clear of that car", Alex recalled, "but it was too late, just too late!"
There was silence as the court listened to the tale.
Alex was usually calm and collected in court but she could feel a well of emotion within her as she described the painful memories.
"The last thing I recall is hearing Caroline shouting for her daughter to come back to the car", Alex tried her hardest to suppress the tears she could feel welling up in her eyes.
She couldn't break down in court, she just couldn't.
But the memory of her father, Tim winking at her a split second before the blast, would haunt her forever. His Bowie clowned admission of guilt was however something she could not reveal here.
"Then came the blast, so huge and so hot...I was knocked off my feet by the force of it".
"Could you please tell us how you reacted?"Jarvis gently prompted.
"I was numb", Alex answered, "it took a few moments for it all to sink in. I watched their daughter being taken to safety and then it hit me".
"What did?" Jarvis asked.
"The realisation that I had failed them", Alex said. "These were people I knew, people I greatly respected! I knew this car bomb was being planned and yet I failed and watched them die...."
Alex trailed off as she spoke. She realised how perilously close she had come to saying "watched them die again".
"Is it true that you broke down in the street?" Jarvis moved on.
Alex nodded.
"Yes", she answered, "These were people I knew, a family; a child now orphaned who will grow up living with what she saw that day".
"Thank you. I think you have painted a clear picture of these events", Jarvis said as he prepared to move his defence questioning on.
Alex waited in the silence that fell between the questioning.
That had been a particularly hard event to talk about, especially under the circumstances of the murder trial.
Alex briefly looked to the public gallery and saw Gene was staring at her intently.
She could read his look easily. He wore a look of concern and frustration as he looked at her.
Alex looked away as she realised she had established eye contact with Gene.
She knew his feelings quite clearly about this whole charade.
She knew he wanted her to reveal all about Tim Price and his VHS confession but he could never know why that was not an option - not that a tale of a now non-existent VHS tape would be believed anyway.
Alex simply had to look away from Gene. She could feel him urging her to come clean and tell the real truth but, much as it pained her, she couldn't possibly allow that to distract her.
"Moving on", Jarvis began again, "could you please tell the court if you have ever suffered any mental health issues?"
The question was offensive but Alex understood why it had to be asked - it was a line the prosecution would be pursuing as a possible motive.
"No", Alex shook her head in absolute certainty, "never, not ever".
The irony of that statement was not lost on Alex. Denying having any mental problems whilst believing yourself to be living almost 30 years in your own past.
"Have you ever displayed any obsessive behaviour towards the Price family?" Jarvis continued.
That was an awkward one.
She knew how her behaviour towards the family could be perceived by someone convinced of her guilt, but they could never know or understand why Alex had hovered around the Price family so much.
"No", Alex again shook her head, "I was well acquainted with them and encountered them quite often both in and outside of work but that's all".
"Could you please give the court your explanation of the various items discovered on the wall in your flat?"Jarvis asked the big question, "the newspaper clippings, the calendar marked up to October 10th 1981 etc".
This was indeed the big one and Alex now felt herself to be in an awkward moral position.
She had to go against everything that felt natural to her as a police officer.
She had to lie in court.
Trying to hide any body language that could be associated with lying Alex began to answer.
"I cut out the newspaper article about the Prices because it's not everyday you find someone you know being interviewed for a national newspaper", she lied, "so I kept it".
"The scrap of paper from the body of Martin Kennedy?" Jarvis continued, "The paper with the Prices'telephone number written on it?".
"I took it because I wanted to speak to Caroline to see if she could give me some information on Kennedy", Alex answered with some truth to this question, "as part of the investigation into Kennedy's murder".
"And the calendar", Jarvis asked, "with the days marked off until October 10th?"
That was the big one and Alex had given this some thought already.
"I mark my calendar off day by day", Alex explained trying to sound as honest as she possibly could, "but I took what I saw on October 10th quite hard. I just never gave it anymore thought and never marked anything off after that".
Jarvis once again allowed a few moments of silence. This had become his way of indicating that he was about to move on, giving the court time to digest what had just been said.
"I'm afraid I must ask you this question", Jarvis carried on as he looked to Alex.
She watched him, waiting for the next question.
"Were you in any way involved with the murders of Tim and Caroline Price?"
"No I wasn't", Alex answered firmly, "I had nothing to do with it. I am a police officer and as such it is my job to prevent events such as this to the best of my abilities".
Jarvis nodded in approval of the answer.
"No more questions my Lord, the defence rests".
And with that he gave Alex a reassuring smile as he seated himself back down.
Alison stood.
She looked at the accused in front of her, saying nothing for several moments.
Her instincts told her that this one wouldn't crack easily under her questions and that this may well be an interesting day in court.
Yet Alison could also see the pressure the accused was clearly under.
She would have to probe carefully with her questioning and try and find a weakness, try and hit a nerve.
"So...Ms Drake", Alison began in an almost holier than thou tone of voice, "you stand before this court accused of extremely serious crimes. Crimes that would appall any decent human being".
Alex watched Alison intently.
It was clear to all that both parties were carefully sizing each other up for this exchange.
"Let me jump straight into things", Alison said with determination, "during the investigation into the murder of Martin Kennedy, you called round to the Prices house to speak to Caroline Price. Is this true Ms Drake?".
"Yes that's right", Alex agreed with a feeling that she should be extremely careful with the answers she gave Alison.
"And while there you discussed the investigation with Mrs Price?", Alison asked, "followed up leads regarding Kennedy?"
"Yes", Alex again agreed, "he had their number; I sought to eliminate Caroline from the enquiry".
"Anything else happen while you were there?" Alison bluntly asked.
Alex paused. Nothing particularly extraordinary had happened after all. Little Alex's school trip had been discussed but that was about it.
Before Alex could think any further Alison cut in again.
"Is it true that you were caught by Caroline Price, snooping around in their daughters bedroom?" Alison forcefully asked.
"It wasn't like that", Alex denied, "I was passing the room and it reminded me of my own when I was that age. It took me right back".
"So you were in the room?", Alison forced the subject.
"Yes but not snooping", Alex shook her head at the accusation, "Caroline and I even had a chat in there, about childhood and how it was special".
"Would you find it odd if someone took it upon themselves to snoop around the room of a child of yours?" Alison queried.
Alex paused before considering her answer as thoughts of Molly were inevitably triggered by Alison's words. Molly's room, her school bag, her hair brush, her MP3 player...all these little things rushed through Alex's mind upon being reminded of her daughter and her room.
"Well?" Alison broke Alex from her thoughts, "if you would answer the question, would you find it odd?".
"I suppose I might" Alex reluctantly agreed, "but as I said, it simply reminded me of being a child".
Alison didn't speak to acknowledge the answer, opting instead to simply nod before moving on.
"Let me now move on to something else I would like to ask you", Alison continued.
Again Alison stretched out another moment of pause before she began.
"You claim that these items on your wall, referring to the Price family and cases they were involved in, we're all simply innocent,".
"That's right", Alex nodded making her reply sound as confident as possible.
"You say that you kept news articles regarding the Price's merely because they were people you knew".
Again Alex nodded, "Yes, that's true".
"I put it to you Ms Drake that this isn't innocent at all", Alison's tone was harsh, "I put it to you that this is a disturbing display of an obsession with the Price family".
"No that's not right", Alex protested.
"I put it to you that you were obsessed with the family and that this obsession grew and grew until it finally led to murder!" Alison accused whilst holding firm eye contact with Alex.
"No!" Alex continued to fight back, "I was trying to save them! Why is that so hard to understand!?".
"Understand?" Alison almost mocked, "All the prosecution understands is that you simply wouldn't leave this family alone! Is that normal behaviour, Ms Drake?".
"They were people I knew!", Alex defended herself.
"Can you tell me if it is common for people harbouring obsessions towards other individuals to plaster parifinalia regarding them all over their walls?", Alison's attack continued.
"I am not, was not, and never have been obsessed!", Alex stated flatly and with anger now clear in her voice.
"Answer me please Ms Drake!" Alison demanded, "You are the police psychologist after all. Is this something obsessed individuals are known to do!?".
"You're twisting this!" Alex replied in an attempt to deflect the question.
"Answer!"
Alex let out an angry breath. She could see the link Alison was trying to make.
In Alex's years in the Force she had indeed encountered individuals who had indeed displayed the behaviours Alison described. It was actually quite common, particularly in stalkers.
Alex looked down momentarily, her shoulders slumping somewhat as she breathed out.
"Yes", she reluctantly admitted in a quieter tone, "Yes, in some cases this can be seen as obsessive. But that does not mean everyone who puts something on their wall in obsessed! Lots of people have things on their walls, it's not that unusual".
"Not even when the people it concerns end up murdered?"Alison simply asked.
"I didn't do this", Alex answered.
"We shall leave that for the jury to decide", Alison remarked as she finished that particular line of questioning.
Alex looked briefly to Gene in the public gallery and saw that the DCI's face was flushed with anger.
After a moment, Alex looked back to Alison to await the next onslaught.
She didn't want to look towards Gene or her colleagues anymore. The feeling that she had let them down was becoming too much to bear.
"Wormwood scrubs prison, Ms Drake", Alison began her next topic, "Arthur Layton".
Alex nodded in understanding.
"You went there to visit Arthur Layton on two occasions did you not?".
"I did", Alex agreed.
"And you discussed what with him?"
Alex thought back to the visit, October 9th 1981 and the gloomy prison room with the glass separating prisoner from visitor.
"I asked him what he knew about the Price family", Alex truthfully answered.
"And why did you go all that way just to ask this of a random drug lord?"Alison dug her question in, "What could he possibly know?".
"I just felt he was in on this plot", Alex replied.
"And what brought you to this belief?" Alison continued.
"I received a tip off by telephone on the morning of October 9th", Alex told the partial truth, "I believed Arthur Layton to be the caller".
"I see", Alison nodded. "and when you went to see him, did you ask him to arrange the bombing?".
"What?", Alex showed clear offence at the question and what it implied, "Of course not! I was carrying out an investigation!".
"Did you arrange to cut a deal with him if he could arrange this bomb?" Alison continued.
"No!" Alex denied the accusation.
"Were you alone with Arthur Layton during this visit Ms Drake?". Alison continued her rapid fire questioning.
"Yes", Alex admitted, "but I was with him for five minutes or so, that's all the visit lasted for!"
"So no one heard anything you discussed with Layton?", Alison quizzed, "No one can back up your denials?".
Alex shook her head reluctantly, "No, no one can back them up...just as no one can back up your accusations I might add".
Alison nodded this time, agreeing that Drake did indeed have a point.
"Alright Ms Drake, lets move on yet again", Alison continued.
Alex took a deep breath, readying herself for whatever Alison was preparing to fire at her next.
This time she didn't look to her colleagues, she just wanted no distractions.
"Ms Drake you have told the court about the arrest of the Prices for possession of narcotics on October 9th 1981", Alison again began, "and how you took evidence from a separate investigation to arrest them".
Alex again nodded her understanding at Alison's words.
"What bothers the prosecution is how you gained access to the house to make the arrests", Alison stated.
"We used a spare key to gain access", Alex admitted.
"And just how on Earth did you know where to find it?" Alison shrugged in bafflement.
Alex felt her pulse race slightly at that question. It wasn't something she had ever given any thought to on the day. She and Ray had just walked through the garden gate and Alex had simply gone for the spare key automatically.
"It was a logical assumption", Alex cobbled together an explanation, "keeping a spare key under an ornament, a flower pot, a dustbin...it's all quite common".
"Perhaps...", Alison acknowledged the explanation making sure her tone of voice sounded unconvinced.
"Regarding the spare key", the prosecution continued yet again, "I will put another question to you".
Alex waited.
"I put it to you Alex Drake that you knew Arthur Layton was likely to be bailed", Alison began, "and that when he was, you told him that Mr Evan White had put the Ford Escort keys through the Prices letterbox so they could borrow the car".
"No", Alex denied.
"You then had Arthur Layton go round to the Prices address", Alison spoke over Alex's denial, "you had told him where to find the spare key and he then used it to gain access to the property".
"No", Alex again denied, "None of this ever happened!".
"Once in the property Arthur Layton then retrieved the keys to the Ford Escort and set the bomb at your request".
"No!" Alex continued to protest her innocence, "I don't know where any of this has come from but it's not true!".
"Your supposed investigation through all of this was just a charade to cover your tracks and make it appear that you were trying to prevent this wicked crime", Alison's tone was beginning to sound angry, "even your over the top performance, screaming in the road after the explosion, was just put on for show!"
"I am telling you...", Alex too felt her temper rising, "I am innocent!".
"I put it to you that you have masterminded and manipulated this entire situation and everyone around you", Alison's attack seemed to be coming to a head, "And that you are indeed behind the murders of Tim and Caroline Price!".
"No! No! No!" Alex's voice was now raised, "How many times do I have to tell you? I'm innocent! I wanted to save them, good god I wanted to save them!"
"No more questions my Lord", Alison abruptly ended having brought her proceedings to a bad tempered head, "the prosecution rests".
Alex watched as Alison sat down.
She could feel the adrenalin rushing through her and her heart beating faster as she fought to contain the rage Alison had caused within her.
She had so much more she had wanted to say, so many more explanations which she had spent endless nights creating in her head.
But now it was ended and the jury would soon retire to consider their verdict.
Alex was trying her best to stay optimistic, but after the exchange with Alison, she was beginning to seriously doubt if she would leave these proceedings a free woman.
End chapter 13
With thanks again to Heidi from the Luigi's forum for checking!