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“I think you’ll find you’re wrong. As I said, it was a misunderstanding. I went through to check the extinguishers when I heard it.”
“Heard what?”
“It was like a scampering sound.”
“Coming from where?”
“The cupboard. I thought it was a rat.”
“There was only one rat in the place.”
“No, serious. I heard this sound and I know women don’t like rats, so I opened the cupboard and the bastard thing jumped out, knocked her bag over and the money fell out. She came in when I was picking it up. Snooty cow accused me of all sorts.”
“Let me get this straight. You were there to rob the place, she caught you stealing from her handbag, and now she’s the snooty cow and she’s in the wrong?”
“I was going to put the money back.”
“If it was a misunderstanding, why did you attack her?”
“I didn’t attack her.”
“That’s not what she says.”
“Well she wouldn’t, would she? Stuck-up bitch.”
“Snooty cow, stuck-up bitch. Such language, Manny.”
“You’re right,” said Gardener. “She does tell a different story. So do the cameras.”
“Cameras?”
“Yes, the cameras. They’d been installed to watch the back door. Most shops have them. You know, for thefts? Would you like to see the film?”
Manny remained silent, so Gardener switched on the laptop. The black and white images confirmed the accusation of him being there to rob the place. Paula Bunting entered the room, a brief conversation ensued, and then Manny rushed forward. At the very last second, she fell backwards and brought up her right leg. She thrust it between Manny’s legs and he stumbled. As he came down, she punched him on the left side of his face and the right side of his head hit the door frame. As it bounced off, she brought the right leg up again and slammed the left side of his face with her foot, causing his head to hit the framework again. Job done.
Gardener stopped the film. “Anything to say?”
Manny did as all good criminals had been brought up to do – he said nothing.
“That was a cracking piece of self-defence, so it was,” laughed Reilly. “I wouldn’t mind her on the team.”
“Pity she’s not available, Sean, she plays prop forward for the Bursley Bridge first team, hence the almost perfect rugby tackle,” continued Gardener, smiling. He turned to Manny, “You’ve seen the film, you can’t deny you were stealing her money, and she caught you red-handed.”
No reply.
“You were banged to rights, so you attacked her in an effort to get out.”
“Attacked her?” shouted Manny. “I didn’t attack anyone.”
“You ran at her. It’s all there on the film.”
“Not to attack her, to get out of the place.”
“You wanted to get out? Is that because she saw you stealing?”
Manny said nothing.
“And when that didn’t work, you attacked her.”
