Not really. It's ages ago.ES: Only a couple of weeks, surely? And if I said it was on Walton Street, would that jog your memory? Isabel's mother met her at the coffee shop that day `“ do you remember that?PW: OK. Right. Yeah, I remember.ES: There was a woman with a bike there too, and we're pretty sure she saw something. Something she found disturbing. Shocking, even. But we haven't been able to talk to her. In fact, it may be impossible to trace her at all.PW: Well, I didn't see anything, so `“ES: But someone else did. Your teacher `“ Mr Scott. He was there that morning. He saw you `“ all four of you.PW: [silence]ES: Do you know what he told us, Patsie?PW: What's that creep been saying? The fucking perv `“DW: Patsie, there's no need for that sort of language.PW: [getting to her feet]
I've had enough of this crap. I'm going home.VE: Sit down, please, Patsie. I'm afraid you're not going anywhere.ES: [to Mrs Webb]
It seems Patsie doesn't want to tell you, Mrs Webb, so I will. Mr Scott saw the four girls `“ your daughter, Sasha Blake, Isabel Parker and Leah Waddell. They were walking up Walton Street from town and stopped at the junction of Great Clarendon Street where they talked for a moment. Then they all hugged each other and Sasha left the rest and crossed the road towards the Blavatnik centre.DW: So? What's wrong with that?ES: According to Mr Scott, as soon as Sasha turned her back on her friends, Patsie lifted her hand and mimed a gesture. And the other girls laughed. But Patsie wasn't laughing `“ Patsie was deadly serious. That's why it stuck in his mind `“ it wasn't just what she did, but the look on her face as she did it. He said it made his blood run cold.DW: I still don't get it `“ES: She mimed a gun, Mrs Webb. Shooting a gun. Your daughter play-acted killing her friend. And now that friend is dead.DW: And that's the reason you dragged us in here? For that? They were just play-acting. Even you admitted that. They're kids, for God's sake. You know what it's like with teenagers, on one day, off the next `“ES: I do know what it's like, Mrs Webb. And I also know how intense things can be at that age. Small disagreements, imagined slights `“ how quickly they can escalate.DW: Sasha Blake was Patsie's best friend. They spent all hours God sends together `“ they've known each other since playgroup. Have you any idea how terrible this whole thing has been?VE: I'm sure it has, Mrs Webb. And most especially for Sasha's mother.ES: Is your mum right, Patsie? Were you best friends with Sasha?PW: Of course I was `“ES: Because I've never pretended to kill one of my friends. Even in jest.PW: It was just a joke `“ how many more times `“ it was just a joke `“ we did stuff like that all the time.ES: Was that what happened, Patsie? Did that start as `stuff like that' too?PW: [looking from one officer to the other]
Did what start? What are you talking about?ES: I'm talking about the night Sasha died. Was that just supposed to be another of your little `jokes', only everything got way out of hand?PW: What the fuck? Are you actually saying I killed Sasha? Like, seriously? Why would I even do that?ES: I don't know, Patsie `“ you tell me. Did you have an argument? Or was it envy? That work placement she got at Vogue? The way she looked? Or just that she was clearly a lot more popular than you?PW: You're fucking sick `“ you know that? Sick.DW: This is outrageous `“ how dare you `“ES: Do you remember that reconstruction they did at the bus stop, Patsie? One of our colleagues saw a news report about that on the TV. It was in the John Radcliffe hospital so it was on mute. And you know what that's like `“ when the sound's turned down you focus more on the pictures. You notice more. He saw you and Leah talking to each other. It was when they were interviewing Sasha's father. But you were in the background. You were talking to Leah and she was looking very upset. Do you remember that, Patsie?PW: So? Why shouldn't I talk to Leah? What's wrong with that?ES: I suppose that rather depends on what you were saying.PW: And anyway, we were miles from the cameras. No way anyone could've heard.ES: Right. That's what our colleague said, too.PW: Well then, what's your bloody problem.ES: But then he had an idea. He's done some outreach work recently with the local Deaf Club, so he took the footage over there and showed it to an expert in lip-reading. And she was in no doubt at all.DW: What are you talking about? Patsie `“ what are they talking about?ES: [passing across a sheet of paper]
It's all here, Mrs Webb. But the relevant part is highlighted halfway down. Leah is talking to your daughter `“ she's clearly in some distress but you can't see what she's saying because she has her back to the camera. But Patsie doesn't. Patsie can be seen quite clearly. She grabs hold of Leah's arm and says, `How many more times `“ it'll all be fine as long as you keep your fucking mouth shut.'PW: [getting to her feet and moving towards the door]
I'm out of here.VE: [following and attempting to prevent her]
You can't do that, Patsie `“PW: [pushing her away]
Don't you fucking touch me, you ugly bitch `“ES: Don't be stupid, Patsie `“ this isn't going to help `“PW: [yelling and hitting out at DC Everett]
I said get your fucking hands off me `“ES: Patsie Belinda Webb, I am arresting you on suspicion of involvement in the death of Sasha Blake. 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. Interview suspended at 17.06.* * *
* * *
Adam Fawley
9 April 2018
17.18
`I'm not saying you're wrong, Adam,' says Gallagher. `I just can't get the timings to work.'
We're standing in front of the whiteboard, in the incident room, looking at a map and a timeline scrawled in Gislingham's untidy capital letters.
And it's all there, in black and white. The bus ticket, the driver, the neighbour, the mother. Things we can't get round. Things we know are true. And from the moment the girls leave Summertown the whole sequence is barely half an hour from start to end.
`However much I contort it,' says Gallagher, `there isn't enough time. The CPS will never run with this `“ they'd get torn to shreds.'
She's not wrong. I can hear the defence lawyer now, telling us we've got it all wrong `“ that it must have been a random predator, some pervert who happened to pass Sasha at the bus stop. Or someone else who knew her `“ someone who could have been stalking her. Like Graeme bloody Scott, for instance.
`But we know Patsie was involved somehow.' I turn fully and look at her. `Don't we? Or am I on my own on this?'
Gallagher shakes her head. `No, I think you're right `“ not just because of what the lip-reader said but the way she reacted just now. I just don't see how we square the circle on how.' She sighs. `And as for why `“'