Twenty-five years of policing told him the solicitor hadn't got a prayer.
Stapleton barely spared Crewdson a glance. Instead, he once again asked Faraday to pass the protest on to his son. What did J-J think?
J-J signed that he was OK with Stapleton's questions. He was here to explain exactly what had happened. Absolutely no problem.
'So answer the question. Why did Kelly agree to do the interview?'
J-J signed that he'd agreed to buy drugs for Kelly. Faraday turned to Stapleton.
'He says Kelly asked him a favour.'
'What favour?'
Faraday glanced back at J-J, watching him mime a syringe in his arm again, realising that his fatherly attempts to shield his son from these remorseless questions were doomed. One way or another, J-J was determined to share the truth about yesterday's events. What might happen as a consequence didn't appear to trouble him in the least.
Stapleton was looking at Faraday. He wanted clarification on the last answer. Faraday sat back in his chair, suddenly aware of what guilt must feel like. Any more of this and he'd be facing a charge himself.
Perverting the course of justice.
'He's telling you that Kelly asked him to buy drugs.'
'That's not what you said just now.'
'I know. You wanted a clarification. I've just supplied it. OK?'
For the first time, Stapleton permitted himself a small, tight-lipped smile. It was, Faraday realised at once, a warning.
'Ask your son whether he agreed to buy the drugs.'
Faraday signed the question. J-J nodded, slowing the signing, spelling it out, trying to cut his father out of the loop.
'Did Kelly tell you where to go?'
'Yes.'
'He gave you money?'
'Yes.'
'Where was the address?'
Lip-reading the question, J-J hand-signed Pennington Road. Faraday obliged with a translation.
'Number?' '30.'
'And you bought the drugs?'
'They took the money off me.'
'Who's 'they'?'
'Two guys.'
'Names?'
'One was called Terry.'
'How much money did they take off you?' ' 90.'
'And gave you the drugs?'
'No.'
'Why not?'
'I don't know.'
'That's robbery. Why didn't you come to us?'
There was a silence while J-J tried to think of an answer. Faraday glanced across at Crewdson. To his surprise, the solicitor motioned for him not to intervene. Alan Moffat stirred, taking over from Stapleton. After he'd established that J-J had returned to Hampshire Terrace without the drugs, he asked about Eadie Sykes.
'She didn't know about the drugs,' J-J signed.
'But she knew about the state of Kelly?'
'Yes.'
'And she still went ahead with the interview?'
'Yes.'
'Were you happy with that?'
There was a long moment of silence. Then J-J shook his head.
'Why not?' It was Stapleton this time.
'Because I thought it was cruel.'
'Cruel how?'
'Taking advantage.'
Stapleton nodded and scribbled himself a note before looking up again.
'What state was Kelly in by the time you did the interview?'
'Terrible, worse. You can see it on the tape.'
'But still no drugs?'
'No, they came later.'
'How?'
'Somebody came round. There must have been a buzz on the phone. I don't know.'
'Were these the same people you'd met earlier?'
'I don't know. I never saw them.'
Unprompted, through Faraday, J-J described what happened next. Eadie had taken over the camera. Daniel had injected himself, then stumbled away to bed.
'Like a drunk,' J-J signed. 'Like a zombie.'
Stapleton leaned towards him. 'And you had no part in any of that?'
'None.'
'Why not?'
'I thought it was wrong.'
'And what do you think now? Now that Daniel's dead?'
'I still think it was wrong.'
'You think you were responsible for him dying?'
'No. He'd have died anyway.'
'So why was it wrong?'
'Because we robbed him.'
'Robbed him?'
Stapleton looked at Faraday to check the translation. Faraday confirmed it with a nod, resigned now to letting the interview run its course. Stapleton returned to J-J.
'Robbed him how? Robbed him of what?'
J-J took his time. He was staring at his father. Finally, he cupped a shape with his hands and then made a tiny turning motion with his body.
Faraday paused for a moment, reflecting on the gesture. Then he looked at Stapleton.
'I think he means Kelly's entire life,' he said quietly. 'By putting it on tape and taking it away, they stole it.'
The interview ended at 17.05. Between them, Stapleton and Moffat went back over J-J's account, confirming details, asking for extra information, making it plain that J-J had to realise how important it was to be absolutely sure he hadn't missed anything out. Finally, almost as an afterthought, they enquired about the incident at the petrol station. Just what had J-J intended to do with two lit res of Supergreen unleaded?
Faraday, bracing himself for the next revelation, had dutifully signed the question. This time, to his relief, J-J simply shook his head.
'You don't know or you won't tell us?'
Another shake of the head. Stapleton looked to Faraday for help.
'He means, 'No comment,' Faraday said.
Afterwards, J-J was returned to his cell, scarcely sparing his father a backward glance. Faraday and Crewdson were shown into the Duty Inspector's empty office while Stapleton and Moffat conferred with the Custody
