The Whole Truth

GQ: According to the professionals, Tobin is highly intelligent, but extremely anxious, especially when separated from you. He has problems interacting with strangers, and coping with negative emotions, even to the point of aggression.

NK: I haven’t got a clue what you’re on about –

GQ: Oh, I think you’ll find Professor Fisher does. She knows exactly what I’m talking about.

* * *

In the adjoining room, Gislingham is staring at the screen. ‘She was so bloody convincing,’ he says, half to himself. ‘I bought the whole thing.’

‘Don’t beat yourself up too much,’ says Gow, making a note. ‘I’ve come across subjects like her before.’

‘No wonder the kid is so messed up,’ says the CPS lawyer darkly. ‘Poor little sod.’

‘’Fraid so,’ says Gow with a sigh. ‘Motherhood’s one thing even those machines of hers can’t fake.’

* * *

GQ: [picks up a sheet of paper]

‘Anxious attachment is usually the result of inconsistent, erratic or absent parenting. Such children become highly insecure and over-focused on the parent in question, which manifests itself in clinging and suspicious responses, and a willingness to do almost anything to please that parent and secure their attention.’

‘Almost anything’, Professor Fisher. Including, I suggest, a willingness to lie. If Mummy asked him to.

MF: [angrily]

Tobin was never diagnosed with that.

GQ: No, he wasn’t. Not officially. But only because you withdrew him from the assessment before that could happen. But it would certainly tally with everything our team has seen of him over the last week or so. As well as everything we’ve learnt of his behaviour in the past. Because this has happened before, hasn’t it? He’s lied for you before.

MF: What the hell are you talking about?

VE: Does the name Sebastian Young ring any bells?

* * *

‘I thought it was crazy – that we’d never pull it off – but Freya said we just had to be clever. She said Marina always assumed she was the smartest person in the room, but we could play her at her own game.’

Asante and Somer exchange a glance.

‘So what did that involve, exactly?’

‘Freya said that even if we reported an assault straight away it would be hours before the police got to question Marina. That there was no way she wouldn’t have showered by then, and I’d used a condom anyway, so there’d be no proof we’d actually had sex.’

‘And Freya helped you?’ says Somer. ‘To fabricate the evidence – preserve DNA in the right places and get rid of the rest?’

He nods. He looks uncomfortable.

‘It was a big risk, though, wasn’t it?’ says Asante. ‘How did you know Marina wouldn’t just tell us straight out that the two of you had been having an affair?’

But Somer’s shaking her head. ‘No. They knew what they were doing. They knew she’d never do that – she’d risk losing her job.’

Morgan looks at her and then away. His cheeks are flushed.

‘That’s right, isn’t it, Caleb?’

GQ: You know who we’re talking about, right? Sebastian Young? He’s the one who signed that fancy NDA Ms Kennedy here drew up for you. But just in case you need reminding –

[pushes a photograph across the table and points at it]

Keeping on top of your work, eh?

NK: Oh, please –

GQ: Marina Imogen Fisher, I am arresting you on suspicion of sexual assault against Sebastian James Young, on or about 20th November 2016. You do not have to say anything, but it may harm your defence if you do not mention when questioned something which you later rely on in court. Anything you do say may be given in evidence.

* * *

‘Look,’ says Morgan, ‘I’m sorry, OK? We shouldn’t have done it.’

‘No,’ says Somer heavily. ‘You absolutely shouldn’t have.’

He slumps back in his chair, throws up his hands. ‘I just didn’t know what else to do. She was using me – abusing her position –’

‘That’s not the point. It’s perverting the course of justice.’

‘And now you’re telling me she’s done this before?’

Somer sits forward. ‘You say she was abusing her power – why didn’t you just report her for that? Tell the college what was going on?’

He makes a sardonic face. ‘And say what, precisely?’

‘That she was blackmailing you into having sex with her, for a start.’

He scoffs. ‘Yeah, right. They were definitely going to believe that.’

* * *

MF: This is crazy – I didn’t assault Sebastian, any more than I assaulted Caleb. And you know I didn’t do that – you said yourselves –

GQ: [points at the photograph]

Perhaps. But we do ‘know’ you did this.

MF: [takes a breath]

Look – it was just that once and it was a huge mistake. It should never have happened.

GQ: I think we can all agree on that.