31 Day Writing Challenge #2: Day 5 - 'Terracotta Tile'

Police Officer: Miss Ellis, do you know a Mr Joseph Cook?

Mhairi:(Gingerly) Joey. It's Joey.

Police Office: OK. Joey Cook. Please state whether you know Mr Cook or not.

Mhairi: Yes, I know him. I'm his girlfriend.

Police Officer: And you witnessed the events that occurred at twenty-six Ripley Road yesterday, July eighth, which resulted in Mr Cook falling off the roof of said address and his subsequent coma

Mhairi: Yes. (Mhairi clearly trying to hold back tears.)

Police Officer: You understand that Mr Cook has been accused of climbing a tree in order to watch the sixteen year old daughter of Mr and Mrs McDonald of the previously stated address.

Mhairi: (agitated/defensive/shocked)  That's ridiculous! Joey would never...

(Mhairi stops, becomes composed. Clearly forcing herself to remain calm and co-operative.)

Mhairi: He shouldn't have been in the tree. And I get why it could look like that, especially knowing my neighbours. But that wasn't why he was in the tree. At all. Joey being in the tree had nothing to do with Rachel. She wasn't even in her room.

Police Officer: Can you tell us why he was in the tree?

Mhairi: It was my fault. This whole thing should never have happened. Why did I have to be so stubborn? (Fighting back tears.) All I had to do was let him in the door. We'd had a fight. A bad fight. I just thought he'd get pissed off and leave, you know? He'd go back to 'the guys' and give me some space. But he didn't. He jumped the fence and started to climb the tree. He was just trying to get to me, to talk to me. He must have really thought he was losing me to climb that stupid tree. I mean, he is terrified of heights. I can't imagine how scared he was. To get to my window, he'd have to walk past Rachel's window then jump the small gap between the houses. They must have spotted him in the tree. And, them being them, immediately jumped to the conclusion that of course he was a pervert. (barely contained rage.) By the time Mr McDonald came raging out of the house, Joey was going past Rachel's window. When he heard all the shouting, he turned round, swiveling on his foot. That's when the tile came loose. And Joey...he...he....That's when Joey fell, (cries/sobs/wails)

Police Officer: Miss Ellis, we have more questions. Are you able to continue?

Mhairi: Yes...ahem...yes.

Police Officer: In their statements, Mr and Mrs McDonald informed us that they had often seen a man loitering around their home and garden, usually fleeing to avoid being recognised. They believe it may have been Mr Cook as the man often fled towards your garden.

Mhairi: Really? They think that it was Joey? They have a sixteen year old daughter, who is not allowed out after nine, with a seventeen year old boyfriend who has a car, but it is totally my boyfriend who has been sneaking around their house.

Police Officer: So you know who has been hanging around outside the McDonald residence?

Mhairi: Yes, his name is Fred Alderton. Nice kid actually. He finishes work at around nine and stops off to see Rachel on his way home. Never goes into the house. Either stands in the garden and she pops her head out the window; or he climbs up to the window, sits on the roof and they chat.

Police Officer: Can we go back to something you said earlier? You said that Rachel was not in her room at the time of the incident. The McDonald's were under the impression that she was,

Mhairi: They had grounded her, so she snuck out. Probably to see Fred.

Police Officer: Just to clarify, Mr Cook's reason for climbing the tree was to get to you and nothing to do with Miss Rachel McDonald?

Mhairi: Yes.

Police Officer: And Mr Cook is not the man seen fleeing twenty-six Ripley Road on several occasions? It was, in fact, this Fred Alderton?

Mhairi: Yes. Are we nearly done? I'm sorry, but my boyfriend has just fallen from a roof and is in a coma. What they are accusing him of is ridiculous, I've told you everything. Can I please leave?