I am not lonely [Mystrade]

CHAPTER 145 : Arnie

Greg exited the lift, a cardboard cup of coffee in his left hand, a stack of files under his right arm. He made his way through the corridor to a grey windowless door reading B-075 and managed to press on the handle with his elbow and to push it with his knee. Three people were already sat around a table and the detective took the last chair available, nodding to the woman sat beside him to turn the recorder on, as he was putting his files down on the table.

"25th of January, Thursday, Interview room B-075, Detective Chief Inspector Gregory Lestrade and Detective Inspector France Hebbletwaite. Case 73B1548G, interview of the witness Thomas Jaime Brown, accompanied by his mother Victoria Louise Brown as the witness is minor." the man stated for the recorder before turning to the teenager sat face to him. "You don't have to be scared Thomas. I'm not here to shout at you or to try to accuse you of anything, neither my colleague is. I just want to know what happen on Tuesday afternoon on Station Parade in Willesden."

"It's Tom sir." the young man muttered without looking the policeman in the eye.

"Alright Tom. Do you agree if I ask you a few questions ?" Greg nodded, trying to use a soft enough tone so the boy wouldn't feel threatened and yet strong enough, so he wouldn't think he was considered as a five-year-old.

"Come on Tom, answer to the man please." his mother encouraged him as the teenager was looking pretty much reluctant to collaborate with the police.

It was clear to the detective that it wasn't the boy who had decided to join the helpline that had been launch just after the attack to report what he had seen, but his mother who had probably forced him a little to accept this appointment. Even if during his year in the forces the yarder hadn't interviewed many youngsters, he was able to say that this kind of situation were the most frequent. The kids were most of the time to frighten of what could happen to them if their friends or enemies were to learn that they had gone to the police to report something, or they were fed up with the forces for whatever reason, and pretty much against doing anything that could help them to do their job.

"Don't worry Tom, we know you aren't the perpetrator of anything. We are just trying to trace down the man who've attacked the schoolboy." Hebblewaite tried.

"What happened to him, the kid ?" Thomas wondered, looking up a little.

"He was evacuated to St-Mary's hospital." Greg informed him. "He've got a few broken ribs, and he suffered from several bruises and cuts to the face, and he is still uncouncious, but he will recover the doctors said."

"It was too quick, there was nothing I could have done ... He was like twice his height, very tall ... He screamed, it was awful ..." the teenager recalled with ghosts in his eyes.

"Could you give us a description of the attacker ?" France questioned, taking notes of the informations he had already given.

"Well, he was tall, like really tall. And ... erm ... he had dark or brown hair. Short, a bit like, you know Phil Jones from Manchester United ?" the youngster answered, anxiously biting his lip. "But I couldn't see him well because I only saw his back."

"Don't worry, it's already very good." the policewoman nodded with a little encouraging smile. "Would you say he was young or rather old, in the way he moved and dress ?"

"Erm ... Young probably. As I said he was really quick, like someone who is doing a lot of sport or something like that, yes, quite muscular." Tom retorted, looking surer. "And he was wearing nothing really fancy you know. Just a pair of black tracksuit and a grey hoodie."

"Do you think you would recognise him if we show you some pictures ?" Greg wondered as the woman was taking some more notes.

"Erm ... I'm not sure, I've only seen his back ..." the teenager hesitated, not willing to make any mistake in his identification.