1 Suspect interview by DI Bullet: Part 2

Do you lie in any other areas of your life Neale? Oh, stopped talking now, have you? Now the going’s got a bit tough, eh?

No.

Oh, I see. Not completely silent, just monosyllabic. Oh, back to silent.

Sometimes you don’t need a suspect to speak, their non-verbals speak for them.

What is that supposed to mean?

Nothing, mate. Nothing. Just saying. Now, Neale, I probably don’t need to tell you this; you seem bright enough. But you are in quite a lot of trouble here. I want to help you. I really do. I mean, you seem like a nice enough bloke. I mean, if circumstances were different. I do want to help but to help you, I need to get inside your head a bit more–

For God’s sake.

There’s all this evidence, you see? And I know it’s hard for you. I know it is. No one likes admitting they don’t get along with their old man, do they? I mean, it’s like a cultural norm, isn’t it? We’re meant to rub along with family just fine, aren’t we? And for me, Neale there are too many things you don’t seem to be able to explain. There’s the locked doors that weren’t locked, there’s your other strange behaviour at the scene, leaving your dad’s house without being sure where you were heading, not being sure if you needed an ambulance or the police. Isn’t that right? There’s the fact that you knew he was stabbed, Neale.

You knew he was stabbed and how could you possibly know that if it wasn’t you that killed him?

Because your officers told me, for fuck’s sake.

But it’s right, isn’t it? That there are very few people who could possibly know that. Isn’t it, Neale? Isn’t it?

Yes. No. God knows. I don’t even know what you’re asking me anymore. I’m so tired.

I think we’re all tired. And this fight with your dad– I mean, argument, a few months earlier. It isn’t normal, is it?

Really. I’m so tired, can we just finish?

But we are so nearly there, Neale. I just need you to be honest. Just say what happened. Because until you do, you will feel tired because what you have done is weighing you down. You are dragging it around and all the lies and the trying to remember what you have said. Well, it’s all just so tiring, isn’t it? I see you’re nodding there, Neale. Can you just say yes for the tape?

Yes. Can we just finish?

We can. Of course we can. I just want to help you. I really do. I mean, we’ve got to know each other now, haven’t we? Over the last few hours? I can see you’re a decent man. A really decent man. Quite a laugh, in fact, at times. And the only thing I can think is that– I mean, families they are just so difficult, aren’t they? And sometimes when tempers fray over, things can turn violent in an instant, can’t they? And it doesn’t necessarily make someone a bad person though, does it? I mean, if that happens to them. And all I can think is maybe you did do it. I know you don’t remember doing it, of course.

Like you say, you think you were around at a colleague’s on Sunday night but we can’t get hold of them, can we? What with them being in India. But maybe you just think that, Neale, because that is what you have told yourself. And you’ve come to believe it as if it were true.

Yeah? And I can’t blame you for that. But it could be the case, couldn’t it? That maybe that night you had a drink, which I know you can’t do, can you? Not have just one drink, that is. Because that’s something you can’t do. Is it, Neale? Not just the one, it’s always several, isn’t it? And it’s caused you problems in the past, hasn’t it? So maybe in fact, that’s why you don’t remember because you had had a drink.

But maybe you crept in around the back through those doors and maybe you did do it and crept right back out again that same Sunday evening. I mean, do you think that’s possible?

(VOCALISES) Well I didn’t have–

And there’s no one else we can think of, is there? No one else that might have something against your dad.

No.

So we have to see that. Like you said earlier, Neale, you have had these blackouts before, haven’t you? Like the time in the pub, the affray? You said it was all a blur, didn’t you?

So it’s possible, isn’t it? That you did do it. But like as happened in the past, you can’t remember it and why would you? Who would even want to remember that type of event?

Possible. I guess.

And there’s no one else. And you say it’s possible it was you.

Only possible.

Only possible, yes. But also let’s look at the wider picture here. No one else wants to hurt your dad, did they? I mean, you’ve said that, haven’t you?

Yeah. I mean– not that I can think of.

So maybe you did do it, Neale. Maybe your own mind is protecting you from the truth. Maybe you aren’t even lying to me.

Maybe you just don’t know you did it. Might that be right?

It might. I mean, I can see why you would think that.

And we will keep trying with your colleague in India.

Maybe you’re right.

We are right. I think, Neale.

Yeah.

Maybe you are.