James Carol: The Quiet Man

‘We are joined this evening by Cathy Gifford. Her husband is suspected of being involved in the August 5 bombings. Mrs Gifford is now going to read a short statement.’

So far, so good. Delaney was sticking to the script. She hadn’t come right out and accused Gifford of being the killer. And she had used Cathy’s married name, which would help to establish a bond with Gifford. Cathy unfolded a sheet of paper and cleared her throat. When she spoke her voice was two tones higher than usual and there was a slight waver.

‘Billy, if you’re watching this, please get in touch with me. People are saying the craziest things about you, things that I just can’t believe are true. The man that I married isn’t capable of doing the things they’re claiming. You are a good person. A loving person.’ Cathy paused to compose herself. She cleared her throat again. ‘I know things haven’t been good between us, but whatever problems we’ve had can be solved. Nobody knows you as well as I do, and that’s how I know you’re innocent. Together we can clear your name, so please contact me.’

Cathy folded the sheet of paper and curled it into her hand. Her knuckles were white from holding it so tightly. The strain was showing and she looked on the verge of tears.

‘Are you okay to answer some questions?’ Delaney asked.

Cathy nodded.

‘You clearly think that your husband is innocent. How can you be so sure of that?’

‘Because I know my husband. He’s got a great sense of humour. He’s one of the funniest people I’ve ever met. He works as a photographer. People warm to him immediately. They like him. How can someone like that be guilty of the sorts of things he’s being accused of?’

‘If your husband was sitting opposite you right now, what would you say to him?’

‘I’d tell him that whatever’s happened doesn’t matter, we can work this out. There’s nothing that can’t be fixed.’

‘Is there anything else you’d want to say?’

‘Only that if people knew Billy the way that I know him, they’d realise he couldn’t possibly be guilty of these crimes.’

This was where the interview was supposed to wind up. All the points that needed to be covered had been covered. Short and sweet was the name of the game. Winter caught the way Delaney looked at Cathy and realised that wasn’t going to happen. Her next question was off script, but not unexpected. Delaney softened her voice, aiming for a tone that was confidential and trustworthy. It’s just the two of us, that voice promised, you can tell me anything.

‘If Cody Hooper was sitting opposite you, what would you say to him? In case you don’t know, Cody was Myra Hooper’s son. Myra was murdered yesterday morning by the August 5 Bomber.’

The camera zoomed in on Cathy. This move had clearly been planned in advance. Again, this wasn’t completely unexpected. Anderton went to stand up and Winter touched her arm. Her head snapped toward him.

‘Can’t you see what’s going on here,’ she whispered. ‘This is an assassination. We’ve got to get Cathy out of there.’

‘Just give it a little longer.’

‘No, this isn’t fair on Cathy.’

‘It’s not fair, but you need to trust me on this one, okay?’

Anderton stared for a second longer then sat back down. Cathy’s face filled the whole screen. The monitor might have been small but Winter could still make out every line and wrinkle. Her eyes were haunted. She wasn’t crying, but the tears weren’t far off.

‘Cody was ten,’ Delaney prompted. ‘And now he’s going to grow up without his mother.’

‘I don’t know what I would say to him,’ Cathy stammered. ‘All I know is that Billy is innocent.’

‘And what would you say to Lian Hammond’s husband. Lian was murdered on August 5 last year.’

Now the tears came. They were streaming down Cathy’s face. She wiped them away, but as soon as she did there were more to take their place. ‘Billy didn’t do it,’ she said quietly.

‘What about Alicia Kirchner’s husband, and Isabella Sobek’s? What would you say to them?’

Winter walked over and positioned himself between Cathy and the camera. ‘This interview is over.’

Delaney smiled. ‘No problem. We’ve got everything we need.’

‘You stepped over the line.’

‘I disagree. It’s important that our viewers see Cathy as human. Tears are one of the best ways to achieve that.’

There was no response to that. At least there wasn’t one that he could be bothered to give. Winter held out his hand and helped Cathy to her feet. She laid the microphone on the seat and he led the way back toward reception. Behind them, Delaney was conferring with her camera operator, no doubt checking to make sure he’d got everything. Anderton had gone into a huddle with Jefferies and Freeman. They were talking in whispers, autopsying the interview.

Winter carried on walking until he found a quiet corner. He guided Cathy toward a sofa and sat down beside her. She wiped the tears away and looked at him.

‘I totally screwed that up. I’m sorry.’

‘You’re kidding, right? You were awesome.’

‘No I wasn’t. By the end I could hardly string a sentence together.’

Winter shook his head. ‘You did good. Really good.’

Cathy wiped her eyes again. ‘The person I was describing back there wasn’t Billy.’

‘I know.’

‘And everyone watching is going to know that, too. Billy included. This was a complete waste of time.’

‘It was not a waste of time. I promise you. Billy might suspect that you’re not being truthful, but there will be a part of him that wants to believe. It doesn’t matter about anyone else who’s watching, all that matters is that Billy thinks you might be telling the truth.’

Winter heard footsteps and looked up. Anderton and Jefferies were walking toward them. Jefferies was looking as cool as ever. He stopped in front of Cathy and waited for her to look at him.

‘Thank you for doing that,’ he said. ‘I realise how tough it must have been.’

‘When can I go home?’

‘We’ve booked a flight for you for tomorrow morning. You’ll need to change in Seattle, but you’ll be back in Idaho by lunchtime. Tonight you’re going to stay in one of our safe houses. There will be armed police guarding you at all times. Your ex won’t be able to get within a hundred miles of you and that’s a promise.’

‘So what happens now?’

‘Now you’re going to come with me. There’s a car waiting outside.’

Cathy stood up. There was a quick round of thank yous and goodbyes. Cathy was anxious to get away, which was totally understandable. Today had been like a bad dream. The sooner she could wake up to a newer, brighter day the better. Winter watched Cathy and Jefferies walk away, then turned to Anderton. She wasn’t smiling and she didn’t look happy.

‘Outside, now. We need to talk.’

‘You haven’t been entirely truthful,’ Anderton said.

Winter lit a cigarette. Behind them, the skyscraper that housed the Shangri La stretched way above their heads. The glass glinted and shimmered and flashed in the evening sunlight, reflecting buildings and sky. It was six hundred and fifty-nine feet tall. Sixty-two storeys. Floors one through fifteen were occupied by the hotel, the rest was residential. The view from the penthouses must have been stunning. Look north and there were the mountains. Turn west and there was the water. To the south and east the city stretched way into the distance.

‘I said, you haven’t been truthful.’

‘I heard you.’

‘That isn’t a denial, or an apology.’

‘No, it’s not.’

‘Cathy isn’t the bait, is she?’