Read Online Convictions by Julie Morrigan - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Julie Morrigan
Tags: Crime
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hotel and I’ll walk to Hilary’s house.’
‘No, love, I’ll drop you off.’
‘No need, thanks.’ Tina stood up. ‘I’ll be fine.’ She walked out without so much as looking at her mother.
***
Next morning, in court, Ruth’s worst fears were recognised as George Cotter gained his freedom. She said a silent prayer of thanks that the statement from the family was in hand, and that Penny and Tina were safely out of harm’s way. She intended to visit them both just as soon as she was done at the court.
Cotter shuffled out of the courtroom, flanked by his psychiatrist and his lawyer. He looked small and crumpled, a powerless grey man in an ill-fitting suit who couldn’t meet anyone’s eyes. He didn’t look like much of a threat. He certainly didn’t look like the man who had been responsible for the abduction and murder of eight-year-old Annie Snowdon six years earlier. Ruth knew you couldn’t judge anyone on appearances though; ‘evil’ was often mundane.
She watched from a distance as, on the steps of the County Court, Cotter kept his eyes down while his lawyer tried to portray him to the surrounding press as a victim of circumstance, an innocent who had been caught up in bewildering events that had overwhelmed him. She looked away in disgust.
When she looked back, a familiar figure, small and slender, was moving forward through the crowd. It stopped in front of Cotter. Ruth was moving towards the scene when she saw the lawyer nod to indicate he had finished speaking and begin to fold his notes and put them in his inside jacket pocket. The small figure stepped forward, arms folded.
***
‘Mr Cotter,’ Tina said. ‘Do you remember me?’
Cotter looked up at last, stared at the girl, shook his head. ‘N … no,’ he said, eventually. ‘No, child, I do not believe I know you.’
‘But I know you,’ she said. ‘And you knew my sister.’ She withdrew her right hand from her left sleeve and Ruth saw the glint of sunlight on metal. ‘My sister, Annie.’ Tina raised her arm and brought it down with force, buried the twin blades of the scissors she held as deep in Cotter’s flesh as her strength would allow.
***
Ruth watched the action of the next few minutes unfold in slow motion: Cotter clutched at his chest and collapsed to the ground; his lawyer and his psychiatrist turned to watch, mouths open in horror; blood pooled underneath Cotter as he lay on the concrete; two policemen moved forward and seized Tina, who made no attempt to escape. The biggest of the two policemen wrestled the girl to the ground, pulled her hands up behind her back and handcuffed her. The television crews were having a field day and press photographers were jostling for a good angle on the action.
‘Hey,’ shouted Ruth to the policeman who had his knee in the small of Tina’s back. ‘She’s just a kid, is that really necessary?’
‘She’s a murderer.’
‘She’s five foot three and about seven stone. You’re … what? About a foot taller and ten stone heavier?’ Ruth flashed her warrant card. ‘Get the fuck off her before you break her back. I’ll take it from here.’
The officer took his time about it, but he took his knee out of Tina’s back then took hold of her handcuffed arms and pulled her roughly to her feet.
Ruth glowered at him. ‘Take the damn cuffs off her.’
He did, and Ruth put her arms round Tina. ‘Come here, pet,’ she said. Tina was stiff and unresponsive, then she started to shake and she hugged Ruth back.
‘Is he dead?’ she asked. ‘Have I killed him?’
Chapter 7
Later, Ruth was in Penny’s hotel room choking for air as Penny chain-smoked her way through a pack of menthol cigarettes.
‘Tina’s defence will be pretty limited,’ Ruth was telling her. ‘After all, the whole thing was caught on camera.’
‘Silly little fool,’ spat Penny. ‘She needs her head examined.’ She stabbed the cigarette she was holding in Ruth’s
‘No, love, I’ll drop you off.’
‘No need, thanks.’ Tina stood up. ‘I’ll be fine.’ She walked out without so much as looking at her mother.
***
Next morning, in court, Ruth’s worst fears were recognised as George Cotter gained his freedom. She said a silent prayer of thanks that the statement from the family was in hand, and that Penny and Tina were safely out of harm’s way. She intended to visit them both just as soon as she was done at the court.
Cotter shuffled out of the courtroom, flanked by his psychiatrist and his lawyer. He looked small and crumpled, a powerless grey man in an ill-fitting suit who couldn’t meet anyone’s eyes. He didn’t look like much of a threat. He certainly didn’t look like the man who had been responsible for the abduction and murder of eight-year-old Annie Snowdon six years earlier. Ruth knew you couldn’t judge anyone on appearances though; ‘evil’ was often mundane.
She watched from a distance as, on the steps of the County Court, Cotter kept his eyes down while his lawyer tried to portray him to the surrounding press as a victim of circumstance, an innocent who had been caught up in bewildering events that had overwhelmed him. She looked away in disgust.
When she looked back, a familiar figure, small and slender, was moving forward through the crowd. It stopped in front of Cotter. Ruth was moving towards the scene when she saw the lawyer nod to indicate he had finished speaking and begin to fold his notes and put them in his inside jacket pocket. The small figure stepped forward, arms folded.
***
‘Mr Cotter,’ Tina said. ‘Do you remember me?’
Cotter looked up at last, stared at the girl, shook his head. ‘N … no,’ he said, eventually. ‘No, child, I do not believe I know you.’
‘But I know you,’ she said. ‘And you knew my sister.’ She withdrew her right hand from her left sleeve and Ruth saw the glint of sunlight on metal. ‘My sister, Annie.’ Tina raised her arm and brought it down with force, buried the twin blades of the scissors she held as deep in Cotter’s flesh as her strength would allow.
***
Ruth watched the action of the next few minutes unfold in slow motion: Cotter clutched at his chest and collapsed to the ground; his lawyer and his psychiatrist turned to watch, mouths open in horror; blood pooled underneath Cotter as he lay on the concrete; two policemen moved forward and seized Tina, who made no attempt to escape. The biggest of the two policemen wrestled the girl to the ground, pulled her hands up behind her back and handcuffed her. The television crews were having a field day and press photographers were jostling for a good angle on the action.
‘Hey,’ shouted Ruth to the policeman who had his knee in the small of Tina’s back. ‘She’s just a kid, is that really necessary?’
‘She’s a murderer.’
‘She’s five foot three and about seven stone. You’re … what? About a foot taller and ten stone heavier?’ Ruth flashed her warrant card. ‘Get the fuck off her before you break her back. I’ll take it from here.’
The officer took his time about it, but he took his knee out of Tina’s back then took hold of her handcuffed arms and pulled her roughly to her feet.
Ruth glowered at him. ‘Take the damn cuffs off her.’
He did, and Ruth put her arms round Tina. ‘Come here, pet,’ she said. Tina was stiff and unresponsive, then she started to shake and she hugged Ruth back.
‘Is he dead?’ she asked. ‘Have I killed him?’
Chapter 7
Later, Ruth was in Penny’s hotel room choking for air as Penny chain-smoked her way through a pack of menthol cigarettes.
‘Tina’s defence will be pretty limited,’ Ruth was telling her. ‘After all, the whole thing was caught on camera.’
‘Silly little fool,’ spat Penny. ‘She needs her head examined.’ She stabbed the cigarette she was holding in Ruth’s
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