‘No. I’d want to. I’d maybe even daydream about it. But it takes a certain kind of person to walk up to a man and actually pull a trigger. I don’t know if I could do that.’
‘Right,’ Judith said. She thought for a long moment then said, ‘But it’s almost admirable, in a screwed up way, don’t you think?’
‘Not really. No one gets to be judge and jury. What if she got it wrong? Killed the wrong man? Also even if she got the right one, we don’t have capital punishment in this country, for good reason.’
‘Okay, I get that, but what if you were one hundred per centsure?I mean, no doubt, you had all the proof anyone could ever want, but for some reason there’s no other way to punish the guy who did it. What about then?’
‘Same answer. I’m not a murderer. And you’re just trying to argue me into a corner.’ Katy gave her a disapproving look. ‘What are you trying to say? That it’s a good thing that that guy Jack Miller is in prison for a murder you think he didn’t do? Didn’t you say he had a son?’
‘I never said that it was a good thing. I was just thinking about what kind of person could do what she’s done, that’s all.’
‘Right,’ Katy said, in a tone that meantbullshit.
Judith decided it would be wise to move the conversation on.
‘The Giffords told me a story about Ruth. Two weeks after she came to them, she cut off Steve Gifford’s index finger in the middle of the night. Because he’d told her off earlier that day, waved his finger in her face.’
Katy grimaced.
‘She was removed from their home and placed in a mental health facility.’
‘She would have ended up in a group home, probably,’ Katy said. ‘Unless they managed to find her a placement with people who could manage high needs. She must have been young...’
‘Eight. Eight years old.’
‘Well, young enough that she had time to turn it around then.’ She paused. ‘Except you don’t think that’s what happened.’
‘I don’t. If anyone had motive to revenge Miriam’s death, it was Ruth. And I can’t find her. There’s the child protection file, but she aged out seven years ago, so even when I get it the file will be wildly out of date. She has no phone registered in her name, no driver’s licence.’
‘Did you check under her birth name?’
‘I did. Nothing either for Renée Palmer.’
‘Right.’
‘The thing is, when Alexis Turner came to me with her complaint about Robert Walker, I believed her because it was almost word for word what Miriam told me had happened with her.’
It took Katy only a moment. ‘So you think Miriam told Ruth what happened. That Walker assaulted her. And Ruth waited and waited and then she decided to take her revenge on Walker for Miriam’s death.’
Judith nodded.
‘Why haven’t you told Rocky that you met with Miriam ten years ago, that she was assaulted by Walker?’
Judith felt heat rising in her cheeks. ‘Because he’s convinced Jack Miller is guilty. I didn’t want to give him a reason to be even more convinced about it. I wanted to work the case, to find something that would convince him that there’s more going on here.’
‘Fuck’s sake, Jude!’
‘I’m not doing it for me. If I don’t figure out the truth, Jack Miller is going to be convicted of Walker’s murder. He’s got a kid. No one’s looking at the case the way I am.’
‘That’s bullshit. You’re not the only one with a brain. You could convince Rocky to look at things differently, if you really tried. You’re just on the hunt, and you can’t let it go.’
Judith gave a half-smile. ‘A few minutes ago you were telling me that I was superwoman and I had to use my powers for good. Help the weak, all that. Can’t have it both ways, friend of mine.’
Katy shook her head. ‘Don’t use my excellent advice against me. That’s cheating. You’ll have to tell him eventually. Putting it off is only going to make things worse.’
Judith drained the last of her wine. This was the problem with Katy. She gave great advice, but she never knew when to stop. Judith wasn’t sure now if she ever would tell Rocky the whole truth. Telling the truth wouldn’t help Jack Miller, that was for damn sure.
‘I was wondering...’ Judith said. ‘Do you know anyone who might know more about where Ruth went after she left the Giffords? I really need to talk to anyone who might have been a friend of hers. Anyone who might still be in touch with her, or—’
