*** CANTEEN - SUN HILL POLICE STATION - 2:25 PM ***

Polly and Ian are sitting at a table in the canteen. Reg is over at the serving area buying some food so the children are left by themselves. Ian is using a green crayon to idly draw some sort of monster on the table surface.

Ian Page:

I'm bored Polly. I got nuffink to do. Reggy has gone away!

Polly sighs tolerantly.

Polly Page:

I know you're bored. I am too. But don't worry, Reg has just gone over there to get us some chips. You know how much you like chips!

Ian Page:

Yeah, but the chips taste like cardboard here! I like French fries from Macdonald's!

Polly makes a face.

Polly Page:

Fwench fwies? Yuck.

Ian Page:

They're yummy! Almost as yummy as cheeseburgers.

Polly Page:

Cheeseburgers? Double yuck!

Ian pokes his tongue out at his sister.

Ian Page:

I'm bored! I wanna play football!

Polly Page:

Give it a rest Ian. You'll get to play next week.

Ian Page:

But the semis are tomorrow! And Greg said he'd show me some new moves before the game. But now I'm stuck in this dumb place 'cause of you so I can't do my training!

Polly glares at her brother.

Polly Page:

Greg ain't gonna be your coach no more. Get used to it.

Ian ignores his sister's words.

Ian Page:

It's all 'cause of you and your big fat gob, Polly. We were gonna make the finals this year but you've ruined it now! I hate you, Polly!

Polly shakes her head in disgust.

Polly Page:

You're a baby! All you care about is your dumb football sessions! You're such a crap football player that they're a lot more likely to win without you, ya know!

Ian is outraged.

Ian Page:

At least I'm not a cry baby like you, you stupid girl! Why do you always have to wreck things? You're a silly cow Polly!

Polly Page:

What would you know, you pafetic baby?

Ian Page:

You're the baby! You're the one who pukes her guts up every morning!

Polly Page:

Well you still wet your bed, babyface!

The other officers on sitting around the canteen begin to take notice. Heads start turning towards the children.

Ian Page:

I do not wet my bed! You're a silly bitch Polly! I hate you and I'm never gonna talk to you again! I hope one of these policemen locks you up so me and Greg can do stuff without you!

Reg starts shuffling back towards the children. He is carrying two plates of hot chips. Polly pushes her chair back violently and storms out of the canteen. She makes her way into the WPC's locker room and tucks herself into a corner. Reg puts the chips down in front of Ian and mutters at him to stay put then dashes out of the canteen after the young girl. He eventually finds himself outside the WPC's locker room. Soft sobbing can be heard coming from inside the room. Reg gently knocks on the door.

PC Hollis:

Polly? You in there?

Reg opens the door and goes inside. He sees Polly in the corner, leaning against one of the lockers.

PC Hollis:

Are you okay Polly? What's the matter, love?

Polly Page:

Get away from me! I want my Mum or Viv. I hate boys!

Polly buries her head in her drawn-up knees and resumes her quiet sobbing. She wriggles herself further back into the corner.

PC Hollis:

Look, calm down love. Whatever it was that Ian said to you, it was said in the heat of the moment. He didn't mean it!

Polly Page:

Yeth he did. Coz it'th all twue. It'th all my fault!

Polly's lisp seems to have returned. Reg kneels down beside the young girl.

PC Hollis:

Look, I don't know the details of the case but I do know that it's not your fault. Whatever happened to you was a result of someone else's selfishness. It's something wrong with them, not with you. You're not to blame for this, Polly, so please don't feel bad about it.

Polly stares glassy-eyed up at Reg.

Polly Page:

I don't care any more. I just wanna go home. I want everyfink to go back to normal.

PC Hollis:

I know it might not seem like it now but things will get better. You've done the hardest thing already by coming to us for help. If it's Ian you're worried about then do you know what you should do next time he starts giving you a hard time?

Polly gives Reg a curious look.

Polly Page:

What?

PC Hollis:

Stuff 'im! That's my advice.

Polly smiles.

PC Hollis:

And if anyone ever annoys you again then just stuff 'em too! Forget what other people think. So long as you know that you're doing the right thing then that's all that matters.

Polly nods, her confidence returning.

Polly Page:

Okay.

PC Hollis:

Are you feeling a bit better now?

Polly shrugs.

Polly Page:

Kinda.

PC Hollis:

Well I've got just the thing to cheer you up. If you're interested, that is.

Reg stands up. Polly hesitates then crawls out from the corner and gets to her feet.

PC Hollis:

How about I take you and Ian on a grand tour of Sun Hill nick? I'll show you all the sights of this magnificent building, from Mr Brownlow's pet goldfish to the Detective Inspector's desk. Would you like that Polly?

Polly's eyes brighten.

Polly Page:

For real?

PC Hollis:

For real. I'll be happy to take you anywhere you want to go. I'll even take you for a spin in a panda if I can clear it with the Inspector! Consider me your chauffeur.

Polly giggles.

Polly Page:

You thpeak tho funny sometimeth. Can I see where they talk to all the coppers from? Where the wadios are?

PC Hollis:

Of course you can. The communications room is only a corridor away. Let's go and pick up Ian then we can start our little tour. So long as you two promise not to start fighting again, of course.

Polly Page:

I pwomise.

PC Hollis:

Great. Just remember my advice. If someone's annoying you then what do you do?

Polly promptly answers on cue.

Polly Page:

Stuff 'em!

PC Hollis:

That's my girl. Now, we'd better get back before Ian scoffs all those chips!

Polly nods and they head back towards the canteen. The young girl and the officer get a funny look from WPC French in the corridor outside as they emerge from the locker room.

*** SOFT INTERVIEW ROOM - 2:50 PM ***

Anne Matthews:

I don't believe a word of it! I refuse to listen to your lies!

WPC Martella:

It's all here and black and white, Mrs Matthews. This is a detailed medical report listing all the injuries that our Forensic Medical Examiner found after looking at Polly.

Anne Matthews:

If someone has been beating my daughter then trust me, there'll be hell to pay. But it wasn't my husband. Greg loves her!

WPC Martella:

You think so do you? He has a very strange way of showing it. You should have been there listening to your daughter when she was telling me what he did to her. Were you aware that he has been sexually abusing Polly since she was seven or eight years old?

Anne just shakes her head, unwilling to believe Viv's words.

Anne Matthews:

Enough of these lies. I don't care what you've bullied my daughter into saying, I want to see her this instant. Take me to her at once or I'll make an official complaint against you, officer Martella!

Viv is on the verge of losing her temper.

WPC Martella:

You think I would waste my time making this up? Why the hell should I do that? Fine, you want me to be blunt? I'll be blunt. That man has been raping your daughter ever since her tenth birthday! What sort of mother are you, to let him get away with that?

June grabs Viv's arm in an attempt to calm her down.

WPC Ackland:

Viv�

Anne Matthews:

Let me see my husband this instant or I am going straight up to see your Chief Superintendent.

Viv angrily pushes June's arm away.

WPC Martella:

You will not be seeing your husband at the moment. He is in custody and he has given us a full confession. You want to listen to the tape?

Anne Matthews:

I demand to see him. Now.

Viv manages to control her temper. She softens her voice.

WPC Martella:

Why are you refusing to accept this?

Anne Matthews:

Because, to be frank, it's the biggest load of bullshit that I've ever heard in my entire life! I don't know where you get your crazy ideas from, WPC Martella, but you must have a sick mind to dream up something like this.

WPC Martella:

I got this straight from your daughter's mouth, Mrs Matthews. I spent all day yesterday from nine in the morning until eleven o'clock last night looking after your daughter and she has told me everything. Police officers deal in facts, not fiction.

Anne Matthews:

Polly is a very impressionable young girl. No doubt you planted your smutty ideas in her head after you abducted her yesterday. My daughter has never really taken to her stepfather but suggesting this� It's ridiculous! I mean, I would have known if something like this was going on. I live with the man for Christ's sake! I know he's not a child molester.

WPC Martella:

But you don't live with him for huge periods of time, do you? You're always away from home so you can't be sure of what he is like in your absence.

Anne Matthews:

I would have known if he'd laid a finger on Polly. We're very close when I am at home and she would have told me about it.

WPC Martella:

Well, I would have thought so too. Unless, of course, he forced her to keep it a secret. She told me in the interview that he threatened her and told her never to tell anyone else about it or she would be sorry. Unfortunately, she believed him.

Anne shakes her head in confusion, still coming to grips with the situation.

Anne Matthews:

Look, let me see my daughter. I won't believe any of this unless I hear it directly from her!

WPC Martella:

She has spent the last twenty-four hours talking to us in great detail about it. Don't you think she has been through enough already?

Viv takes a deep breath and continues.

WPC Martella:

We had a doctor examine your daughter after the interview. You may be interested in her findings. I suggest that you read through it.

Viv thrusts the medical reports into Anne's hands. Anne looks through the photographs of Polly's injuries. Her mouth widens in horror.

Anne Matthews:

This is� This is terrible! But I can't believe that Greg�

Anne trails off and begins to read Hilary's comments. Viv glances across at June. After a few minutes, Anne looks up, her voice a whisper.

Anne Matthews:

He wouldn't� He couldn't� He loves Polly.

Viv looks directly into Anne's eyes.

WPC Martella:

There is something else, Mrs Matthews. Something that we haven't told Polly yet.

Anne looks up from the report. Her hands are shaking slightly.

Anne Matthews:

What is it?

Viv grits her teeth.

WPC Martella:

There is no easy way to say this so I'll get straight to the point. He's got her pregnant. Your daughter is pregnant.

Anne almost passes out from shock. She gasps at Viv, unable to comprehend the situation.

Anne Matthews:

She can't be pregnant. She's only twelve years old!

Viv continues, her voice tinged with sadness.

WPC Martella:

We only found out this morning when the lab results came through. I'm afraid that it's true.

Anne Matthews:

No, I refuse to believe it. You're lying. Oh God, this can't be happening�

Anne is becoming increasingly distressed. Viv continues remorselessly.

WPC Martella:

I wish for your daughter's sake that this was a terrible mistake but a doctor has confirmed the result. She tested positive to a pregnancy test and that can only mean one thing. As far as I can tell, Polly has been suffering from morning sickness for several days now.

Anne Matthews:

Is she all right? Can I please see my daughter?

WPC Martella:

She is as well as can be expected under the circumstances. She is understandably confused and frightened by all this but at least things seem to be getting better now that you're home.

Anne leans back in her chair. She looks faint. Viv gives June a meaningful look.

WPC Ackland:

I'll just get you a glass of water, Mrs Matthews.

June leaves the room. Anne composes herself and looks up at Viv.

Anne Matthews:

How could this happen to my little girl?

Viv sighs wearily.

WPC Martella:

I honestly don't know. It's been going on for a very long time. The thing that puzzles me the most is that it hasn't come out until now. Did you ever suspect that something was wrong?

Anne's voice is hoarse as she replies.

Anne Matthews:

I didn't have a clue. I'm away from home an awful lot and I've always been grateful that Greg was there to look after the kids while I was away. One of the reasons I married him was because he was great with kids. But I had no idea that he was capable of this� Are you sure it was him?

WPC Martella:

Well at this stage we have Polly's statement, his confession and a stack of DNA evidence so things don't look too good for Greg.

Anne Matthews:

What exactly did Polly say? Can you please tell me what my husband has been doing to her?

Viv nods gravely.

WPC Martella:

Well aside from the physical abuse which is pretty terrible in itself, we know that he has been molesting her for as long she can remember. We only have her statement to back this up but from what Polly told me, he first engaged in unlawful sexual intercourse with her on her tenth birthday.

Anne's face turns a deathly white.

Anne Matthews:

Since she was ten years old? He must have been having sex with her for over two years now and I didn't notice a thing�

Viv nods again. Anne sits in silence for a few moments, trying to take this in.

Anne Matthews:

Could I please see my children now? I really need to talk with Polly about this and I want to make sure that both her and Ian are all right.

Viv slowly gets to her feet.

WPC Martella:

Of course you can. I'll take you to them.

Viv and Anne walk through the station's corridors as they try to locate Reg and the children.

WPC Martella:

They're probably exploring the station, knowing Reg. He's too soft-hearted sometimes. I'm afraid that this might take a while.

Anne looks around the corridors nervously.

Anne Matthews:

Is Greg here?

WPC Martella:

Yes. He's locked up in the custody area. I just hope that Reg has had the sense to avoid taking them there.

Viv and Anne walk past the communications room. They hear Ian's high-pitched laughter coming from inside. Anne opens the door, walks into the room and makes a beeline straight towards her children.

Anne Matthews:

Polly! Ian!

Ian Page:

It's Mummy! Look Reggy, Mummy's here!

Both Ian and Polly rush into Anne's arms and she hugs them tightly.

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