“...the mosque in the background behind me. With me now is Lewis Cole, whose twin brother Darren was seriously injured in the recent South Kensington attack, and tragically passed away this morning. Lewis, thank you very much for being with us at this terrible time. I’m sure it must be difficult for you.”
Cole nodded. “Thanks. Yes, it was very difficult this morning. They turned off the machine and he died in my arms.” Cole wiped his eye and gritted his teeth in case he laughed. The world around him began to spin, and he had to steady himself on his feet. He realised he may have gone a Xanax too far.
“Tell me, Lewis, do you believe today’s attack at the mosque was an act of revenge on London’s Muslim community?”
Cole cleared his throat. “I think so, yeah. I spoke to some people down this way recently and they were angry, you know? A lot of them...”
“What sort of people?”
“Local people, Laura. You know. Hard working English people. Some believe their culture, their English culture, is under attack. They think a lot of Muslims support the terrorists.”
“Do you?”
“What?”
“Believe the local Islamic community supports terror?”
Cole scratched his ear. “No. No. Not at all, Laura. They’re ordinary decent people, kinda like us.”
“Kind of?”
“Well they look different, innit?”
“Do you think today’s attack was the work of some angry locals?”
“Lots are angry. Dunno if they’d go that far. You know what? Maybe it was one of their own. They’re always butchering each other, innit?”
“The reports we’re getting from the police is that two local right-wing extremists were responsible. Police have made one arrest and are actively searching for another. They described the man arrested as in his 20s, shaven headed and with distinctive tattoos on his neck and head. We’re told he had an eye tattooed on his forehead. What does that say to you?”
Cole blinked and swallowed again. Xanax or no Xanax, a nasty image sprang to his mind. A picture of someone staring at the ceiling of Scully’s flat. That someone being a stupefied prat called Mince. But a hard core stoner like that didn’t seem the type to drive a van into a load of people. Then Cole thought of Scully and what he’d said about getting some Captagon for himself. Paranoia shook Cole as he jumped to conclusions over the assumptions the police would make.
Scaring Alice in her bed and tickling her bacon with no harm done would be low on police priorities. Cole was certain many guys would justify his actions for her part in the South Kensington attack. However, if the police linked him to Scully and the Captagon, and then added Alice’s involvement, they would soon tot everything up. Terrorism was a whole different ball game. The idiot police would assume he was a far-right terrorist. And fuck that. Cole was an innocent man. Not only that, he was a hero. One of the good guys. He shivered at the misunderstanding and stared at the microphone thrust into his face.
Laura raised her eyebrows. “Well, Lewis? What does that say to you?”
Cole had forgotten what she’d asked. What the fuck had Mince and Scully done? Would anyone link it back to him and Alice? He took a breath. Take back control, Coley. Take control. He took another deep breath and wished he had some water. “You know what, Alice? I’m sorry. Could you, eh, repeat the question please?”
“I’m Laura. Not Alice...” Laura’s smile changed, and she cocked her head. “Who is Alice?”
Cole shifted from one foot to the other. “Um... Alice is the girl they arrested in connection with the South Kensington attack...” He paused as an idea formed in his mind. “I was wrong about her, and I’m sorry. I guess I owe her an apology.”
Laura raised her eyebrows higher still and looked down her nose at him. “That’s very magnanimous of you.”
“Well...” Cole scratched his head. The Captagon and the Xanax had gone to war in his brain. “Yeah. I owe her one.”
Laura signalled to Ricky and he put down the camera. “Would you apologise to Alice Madsen on air?”
“Thought I just did.” Cole’s shirt clung to him, and he pulled at it to let air in.
“No. I mean the two of you on camera together. A sort of healing. I’m doing a follow up piece on South Ken. Would you be interested?”
“Sure. I’d like that. How is she doing anyway?”
“Someone broke into her house and sexually assaulted her.”
Cole put his hand to his mouth. “That’s terrible. Makes me feel bad. I mean, like, I sorta blamed her and all. Said she was involved. I hope it wasn't my fault. Yeah. Definitely makes me want to apologise to her face to face.”
Laura smiled. “That would be good. Let’s finish up with a few more questions about Whitechapel, then we’ll look at the next step, okay?”
“Sure. Fire away.”
“Tonight’s news is the Mosque and those responsible. The far-right guys, okay? Remember I told you what the police said?”
Cole nodded and wiped his forehead with his hand. “Am I okay? Awful hot…”
Laura looked him over. “You're good, Lewis.” She turned to the camera guy. “Ricky?” He raised the camera and motioned with his hand for her to keep going. She turned back to Cole. “You ready?”
“I suppose.”
She put the mike back to her lips and for a moment Cole imagined she would take it in her mouth. Don’t choke
