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** FEBRUARY 12TH ** |
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*** DIAGON ALLEY - 1:00 AM *** |
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| Alec and June are slowly driving down the moonlit alleyway. June scans the road outside as Alec concentrates on the driving. They slowly approach the middle of the alley in their panda and Alec peers out into the murky street. | |
| Sgt. Peters: | It's quiet tonight, June. Usually these streets are lined with toms at this time. Must be past their bedtimes. |
| Alec continues to drive down the alley. Suddenly he frowns, having spotted a small figure sitting on a crate on the side of the road. | |
| Sgt. Peters: | What's that June? |
| June looks over at him curiously. | |
| WPC Ackland: | Sarge? |
| Sgt. Peters: | There's something on the side of the road. It could be a body. Can you make it out? |
| June looks through the window of the panda out into the dark night. | |
| WPC Ackland: | Hold up, Sarge. It looks like a kid. Pull over. |
| Alec pulls up on the side of the road and peers out at the silent figure sobbing into her hands. | |
| Sgt. Peters: | You could be right. Come on June, let's check this out. |
| June steps out of the car and slips her hat onto her head, walking towards the child. | |
| WPC Ackland: | Hello? Are you okay there? |
| Alec takes his hat in both hands and gets out of the panda. He steps onto the street and takes a few steps towards the small, battered girl. | |
| Sgt. Peters: | Hello miss? What's your name then? |
| Alec looks down at the small girl kindly. Polly looks up, surprised to hear the voices. She chews lightly on her lower lip, wiping the tears from her eyes. | |
| Polly Page: | Polly. |
| Sgt. Peters: | That's a pretty name. What's a nice girl like you doing out of her home at a time like this? |
| Alec kneels down beside Polly. She looks back at her hands, sniffling. | |
| Polly Page: | I don't wanna go home. |
| Sgt. Peters: | Why's that then? |
| Polly Page: | He, he killed her... |
| Polly replies, still trying to come to terms with the fact that it wasn't just a bad nightmare. Alec becomes concerned. | |
| Sgt. Peters: | Who killed who? Have you seen something, Polly? |
| Polly Page: | He killed her and it was all my fault! |
| Sgt. Peters: | How about you come back to the station with me and tell us all about it? It's a lot warmer there than it is out here. |
| Polly nods and gets to her feet, trailing behind him. | |
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*** CANTEEN - SUN HILL POLICE STATION - 1:15 AM *** |
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| Polly takes a sip of her Coke and half-heartedly chews on a potato chip. June is sitting at a table in the canteen staring at the little girl in front of her. Alec is standing nearby. | |
| Sgt. Peters: | You'll have to tell us where you live eventually, you know. Unless you want to spend the night in a cell? |
| Polly looks slightly terrified. | |
| Polly Page: | You wouldn't really lock me in a cell, would you? |
| Alec nods his head gravely, looking serious. | |
| Sgt. Peters: | Well we don't have anywhere else to put you in the station. Now do you know your home address? |
| Polly nods slowly, with a drawn-out sigh. | |
| Polly Page: | Why? |
| Sgt. Peters: | Because we need to know where you live if we're going to take you home! It's only common sense. |
| Polly Page: | But I don't wanna go home, I already told ya that! |
| Polly looks pleadingly over at June. | |
| WPC Ackland: | I think she's frightened, Sarge. |
| Alec sighs with frustration as a call comes over his radio. He listens to the call for a little while, nods his head and looks down at June. | |
| Sgt. Peters: | Taffy's got himself into a spot of bother on Monkhouse Road. Urgent Assist call. Can you look after the little girl, June? |
| June nods her head as Alec briskly walks out of the room. She turns to face the small girl. | |
| WPC Ackland: | How are you feeling, Polly? |
| Polly Page: | He didn't really mean what he said about locking me up in a cell, did he? |
| June grins. | |
| WPC Ackland: | No, that's just Uncle Alec. He was trying to get your address out of you. Do you feel like telling me? |
| Polly Page: | As long as you promise that you won't take me home. |
| June sighs. | |
| WPC Ackland: | I can't promise that Polly. Maybe you could tell me why you're not at home... Did you run away? |
| Polly nods slowly. | |
| Polly Page: | Kinda. |
| June looks thoughtfully down at Polly. | |
| WPC Ackland: | You can tell me, you know. I won't bite. |
| Polly takes a deep and then slowly begins crying again. | |
| Polly Page: | It's not fair... he didn't have to kill her... |
| June gently rubs Polly's shoulders with her hand. | |
| WPC Ackland: | Kill who, Polly? Come on, tell me, you'll be okay. |
| Polly Page: | He... killed... Bella... All coz of me... |
| June pats Polly on the back. | |
| WPC Ackland: | There, there. Don't worry, you can tell us all about it later on. Who's Bella? |
| Polly Page: | My puppy dog. She wasn't even a year old yet. |
| June is shocked. | |
| WPC Ackland: | Who killed her? Did you know him? Was it someone at home? |
| Polly nods again, not elaborating. | |
| WPC Ackland: | Who was it Polly? |
| June clenches her jaw. Polly shakes her head, playing with the ring on the Coke can. | |
| WPC Ackland: | Polly? What's the matter? |
| Polly shrugs, still refusing to look back at June. The officer sighs and leans back in her chair. They sit there in silence for a few minutes as the canteen slowly empties. Viv walks through the double doors with a puzzled look on her face. She spots June and walks over to her. Viv doesn't notice the small blond girl sitting there with June at first. | |
| WPC Martella: | What's all this about Taffy being attacked? Is it true they had a gun? |
| Polly looks up quickly, recognising Viv's voice. She still does not make a sound. | |
| WPC Ackland: | I haven't heard. I've been asked to wait here with Polly. |
| June nods across at Polly. Viv turns to face Polly and looks at her with surprise. | |
| WPC Martella: | Polly! What are you doing here at this time of night? |
| Polly shrugs her shoulders, looking miserably up at Viv. | |
| WPC Ackland: | We found her sitting on an empty crate in Diagon Alley. Do you know the girl? |
| Viv nods her head slowly. | |
| WPC Martella: | Our paths have crossed. Does your Uncle Charlie know you were out there by yourself, Polly? |
| Polly cringes slightly, dropping her head again. | |
| Polly Page: | No. |
| Viv takes a seat next to the little girl. | |
| WPC Martella: | Why were you out in a place like Diagon Alley at this time of night? |
| Polly shrugs again, looking guiltily over at Viv. | |
| WPC Martella: | Come on Polly... Have you run away from home? |
| Polly blinks several times, considering the question. | |
| Polly Page: | I guess so. |
| Viv gives June a worried look. | |
| WPC Martella: | Why? Are you having a bad time with your family? |
| Polly Page: | I guess so. |
| Viv shakes her head sadly. | |
| WPC Martella: | That's terrible to hear. Is there anyone looking after you apart from June? |
| WPC Ackland: | No, Alec left me holding the baby, so to speak. |
| Viv furrows her brow and impulsively reaches out to take Polly's hand. | |
| WPC Martella: | Well I'm sure he won't mind me looking into it since I actually know the girl involved. Would you like to come with me to a much nicer place so we can talk Polly? |
| Polly looks slowly from June back to Viv. | |
| Polly Page: | If you want. |
| Polly gets to her feet hesitantly. | |
| WPC Martella: | Great, just come with me then. You'll be fine. |
| Viv slowly leads Polly out of the canteen with June in tow. | |
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*** SOFT INTERVIEW ROOM - 1:25 AM *** |
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| Polly hops up onto the couch, looking questioningly at the officer. | |
| WPC Martella: | Just sit there for a moment, Polly, while I set this up. |
| Viv fiddles around with an old tape player for a few moments before giving a satisfied grunt as it clicks. June smiles over as she too takes a seat across from the little girl. | |
| WPC Martella: | This is a tape recorded interview between WPC Martella, WPC Ackland and Polly Page, commencing at one twenty-five am on the twenty-second of January. |
| Polly Page: | What's with that? |
| Viv looks across at the small girl. | |
| WPC Martella: | It's just a tape deck so that we can record what you say, don't worry Polly. Are you feeling okay? Do you mind if we ask you some questions? |
| Polly shrugs, looking thoroughly miserable. | |
| Polly Page: | If you want. |
| WPC Martella: | All right, I think we're ready to begin. Now we found you in an alley earlier this evening, didn't we Polly? |
| Polly nods slowly, pointing at June. | |
| Polly Page: | She did. With that really old guy. |
| WPC Martella: | Sergeant Peters. What were you doing in the alley at that time of night? |
| Polly shrugs. | |
| Polly Page: | I dunno, just sitting there. |
| WPC Martella: | It's a funny place for a little girl to be sitting late at night, wouldn't you say? |
| Polly blinks several times, looking strangely at Viv. | |
| Polly Page: | Well I didn't know where else to go. I just wanted to fink for awhile. |
| WPC Martella: | What about? |
| Viv asks casually. | |
| Polly Page: | About Bella. About what he did. |
| WPC Martella: | Who? Your stepfather? |
| Polly nods slowly. | |
| Polly Page: | He killed her. |
| WPC Martella: | Your stepfather killed your pet dog? |
| Polly nods again, getting slightly frustrated. | |
| Polly Page: | I already told ya! Why can't you just go and arrest him? |
| Viv sighs. | |
| WPC Martella: | Well we'll certainly be getting in touch with the RSPCA but I want to talk with you about it first, Polly. Why did he kill Bella? |
| Polly looks away quickly, glancing down at her hands with a slight shrug. | |
| Polly Page: | I dunno, he was angry. |
| WPC Martella: | Angry with you? |
| Polly nods again, still not raising her head. Viv's voice is low and soft. | |
| WPC Martella: | For the tape, Polly. |
| Polly looks back up at Viv, confused. | |
| Polly Page: | What? |
| WPC Martella: | Can you speak up for the tape, please? |
| Polly considers this for a moment, before continuing. | |
| Polly Page: | He was angry with me, so he killed her. |
| WPC Martella: | Why was your stepfather angry with you? Had you done something wrong? |
| Polly Page: | I guess so. |
| WPC Martella: | Tell me what happened this evening before he killed your pet. |
| Viv speaks in a reassuring voice. Polly looks between the two WPCs before working out an explanation. | |
| Polly Page: | Well, he took me to this party but I wanted to go home and so he was really angry. That's why he killed her. |
| WPC Martella: | He killed your dog because you wanted to go home? That's a bit harsh. How did he kill her, if you can tell me? |
| Polly Page: | I dunno, I mean, I guess he strangled her. He, he had his hands around her throat and then he just sorta threw her off the table and she cried and yelped and then nothing. Then her dropped her to the floor and she was dead. |
| WPC Martella: | Did he do it deliberately? |
| Polly nods quickly. | |
| Polly Page: | Of course. I mean, well, I think so. I don't know if he meant to kill her. But he definitely meant to hurt her heaps. |
| WPC Martella: | But why, Polly? It seems a bit extreme just because you wanted to come home from a party. |
| Polly looks up awkwardly. | |
| Polly Page: | Well, it was all my fault. Like, I wound him up kinda. I didn't know he'd go and do something like this! |
| Viv gives June a worried look. | |
| WPC Martella: | What did you say to him? |
| Polly shrugs. | |
| Polly Page: | Nuffink really. I just said stuff I shouldn't have and he got really angry. He was pretty angry tonight though. I just didn't fink he'd ever take it out on Bella. |
| WPC Martella: | And you ran away from home after he killed her? |
| Polly Page: | Yeah, I hated him for that. I don't care about the other stuff. |
| Polly catches herself quickly. | |
| Polly Page: | I mean, I don't care if he's angry with me or nuffink but he knew how much I loved Bella. That's why I hate him. |
| Viv narrows her eyebrows curiously. | |
| WPC Martella: | The other stuff? What other stuff? |
| Polly Page: | Nuffink, just like if he's mad at me and stuff. |
| WPC Martella: | What does he do when he's mad at you? |
| Polly Page: | I dunno! It depends. Look, what has this got to do with Bella? |
| WPC Martella: | Can we forget about Bella for the moment, Polly? I'm asking about you. |
| Polly Page: | Well this isn't about me, is it! |
| Polly looks angrily across at the officers, lowering her head again. | |
| Polly Page: | Sorry. |
| Viv sighs. | |
| WPC Martella: | If you say so. How long have you had Bella? |
| Polly thinks for a moment. | |
| Polly Page: | I dunno, since about September I fink. Just after school went back. |
| WPC Martella: | Did your Mum buy her for you? |
| Polly shakes her head quickly. | |
| Polly Page: | Greg. |
| WPC Martella: | Your stepfather bought you the dog but he was the one who killed it? |
| Polly Page: | Yup, go figure. |
| Viv shakes her head. | |
| WPC Martella: | Where do you live, Polly? |
| Polly narrows her eyes suspiciously. | |
| Polly Page: | Why? |
| WPC Martella: | Well we'll need your address if we're going to take you home. |
| Polly looks absolutely petrified, bringing her knees up to her chest. | |
| Polly Page: | You're not taking me home! You said you wouldn't! |
| WPC Martella: | But we don't have anywhere else to put you! Where are you going to spend the night? |
| Polly looks desperately over at the officer. | |
| Polly Page: | I don't care, I'd sooner go in a cell than back there. Or back on the streets if I have to. I'm not going back home. No way. |
| WPC Martella: | Are things really that bad at home? |
| Polly nods slowly. | |
| Polly Page: | Even my stupid brother is pain. He gets all the attention, even from Mum. |
| WPC Martella: | Where's your Mum? Could she look after you tonight? |
| Polly shakes her head. | |
| Polly Page: | She's away working. She's never home. |
| WPC Martella: | So you are left alone at home with your stepdad a lot? Where does your Mum work? |
| Polly Page: | She's a flight attendant, so she's only around a few nights here and there. Hardly even see her, except if she has a few days off or holidays or something. |
| WPC Martella: | What will your Mum say when she hears what your stepdad has done to your dog? |
| Polly Page: | I dunno. He probably won't wanna tell her. He'll probably just say she died in her sleep or something. |
| Viv lets out a long drawn-out sigh. | |
| WPC Martella: | Well we'll see if we can sort out this mess in the morning. Do you have any relatives living nearby that you could stay with tonight? |
| Polly shakes her head. | |
| Polly Page: | I don't fink so. |
| WPC Martella: | What about Mr Brownlow? |
| Polly Page: | No, no way. He's too busy. |
| WPC Martella: | Do you have any school friends who would let you spend the night at their place? |
| Polly thinks automatically of Vicky, immediately shaking her head. | |
| Polly Page: | Uh-uh. |
| WPC Martella: | Well we can try and find a place for you but I don't fancy our chances of success. |
| Viv clicks the tape recorder off and gets to her feet. | |
| Polly Page: | So what happens? |
| WPC Martella: | We're not sure. June, can you contact social services and ask them if they have a spare bed? |
| June nods, getting to her feet and leaving the room. | |
| Polly Page: | What are you going to do about Greg? About what he did to Bella? |
| WPC Martella: | Well we'll call someone from the RSPCA for sure... But I don't think we can arrest him for that. He'd just say it was an accident. |
| Polly Page: | So you can't lock him in jail or nuffink? |
| Viv shakes her head slowly. | |
| WPC Martella: | I'm afraid not. We can ask Greg to come in for questioning tomorrow, so it all depends on what he says when I interview him, but it's very unlikely that he'd be arrested or anything. |
| Polly Page: | But what about then? I mean, will I still have to go home? |
| WPC Martella: | Perhaps. It all depends on what he says and what your Mum thinks is best for you when she comes home. Okay? |
| Polly nods tiredly. | |
| Polly Page: | If you say so. |
| Viv ruffles Polly's hair. | |
| WPC Martella: | Good girl. Now how about we go into the Rec. Room for a while and watch TV until June lets us know if we've found a place for you to sleep? |
| Polly gets to her feet, heading towards the door. | |
| Polly Page: | Okay. |
| Viv follows Polly and they leave the soft interview room behind. | |