All the Rage

Adam Fawley
11 April 2018
10.08

The call comes through to the incident room at just after 10.00 the following morning. The stains on Nadine's trainers were blood. Sasha's blood. Most of us still can't believe it. But as Alan Challow always says, forensic evidence doesn't lie.

`˜This is going to destroy her mother,' says Somer sadly. As if it needed saying.

`˜I still think there's more to this than meets the eye,' says Gallagher. `˜Those girls `“ they have to be involved somehow `“'

Ev makes a face. `˜Isabel and Leah just parroted `њno comment`ќ to every single question we asked `“ it's like they're in some sort of bloody cult or something.'

`˜Yeah, well,' says Gis. `˜But I still think their fingerprints are all over this. Especially Patsie's.'

`˜Not literally, though,' observes Baxter. `˜The partials on the handbag don't match a single one of 'em.'

`˜More's the bloody pity,' mutters Quinn.

But something Baxter said triggers a niggle in my mind, and when the meeting is over, I take him quietly to one side. Because it's not worth making a song and dance about this in public. Not if I'm wrong.

* * *

Interview with Nadine Appleford, conducted at St Aldate's Police Station, Oxford

11 April 2018, 11.55 a.m.

In attendance, DC V. Everett, DC E. Somer, Mrs D. Appleford, Mrs P. Marshall (solicitor), Ms S. Rogers (designated Appropriate Adult)

VE: Interview resumed at 11.55 on April 11th 2018.ES: Now, Nadine. Since we last talked to you we've spoken to Patsie Webb, and she's admitted that she and her friends were the ones who attacked your sister. We've interviewed Isabel and Leah as well, and they're all going to be charged with Actual Bodily Harm. Do you understand, Nadine? We know it was them. We know what they did and how they tricked you.NA: [to her mother]

I told you, Mum, I didn't do it `“ it wasn't me `“DA: I know, sweetheart, I know.ES: And you still maintain you weren't at the river the night Sasha died either?NA: No, I told you.VE: You didn't see her `“ you didn't talk to her `“NA: No `“ I never even went out. I was at home all night.ES: Your sister says the washing machine was on when she got home. Could you explain that for us?NA: [shrugs]

Dunno. I don't remember.VE: As you know, we conducted a search at your house yesterday. Various items were removed and sent for forensic analysis. This included a pair of trainers found hidden under some other clothes at the bottom of your wardrobe.DA: They weren't hidden `“ she's just messy `“ she's a teenager `“VE: Nadine? Were you trying to hide the shoes?NA: [silence]ES: Forensic tests on those shoes indicate that someone has tried to clean them with household bleach, which is a rather unusual thing to use on training shoes. Was that you, Mrs Appleford?DA: [pause]No. It wasn't.ES: Was it you, Nadine? Did you try to clean something off your shoes?PM: You're entitled to say `˜no comment' at any time, Nadine.NA: No comment.VE: Could you speak up, please? For the tape?NA: [louder]

No comment.ES: [passing across a piece of paper]

These are the results of the tests on the shoes, Nadine. There are traces of blood on them. Not very much. But it's there. And it's Sasha's.NA: [silence]ES: But that only proves you were present when Sasha died. It doesn't necessarily prove you actually did anything. So what happened, Nadine? How did you end up there that night?NA: [silence]VE: Patsie says none of the other girls were even there `“ that you killed her, all on your own. She says you knew Sasha would be going home that way that night because you'd been spying on them. Eavesdropping on their conversations. Is that true?NA: It wasn't like that.VE: So what was it like?NA: [shakes her head]ES: Why won't you talk to us, Nadine? Did Patsie trick you again, is that it? You shouldn't be taking all the blame, not if Patsie tricked you.NA: It wasn't `“PM: [preventing her]

You don't have to answer that, Nadine.NA: No, I want to. It wasn't a trick.VE: What was it then?NA: She said to be there, that night. At the river.VE: Patsie?NA: [nods]ES: You arranged to meet her.NA: Not just her. The others as well. She said they were sorry about Faith and this was a way to make up for it. We were all going to be blood sisters.ES: Blood sisters?NA: You know, like on the telly. They said to bring a knife. We all had to bring our own.ES: So you took one from the kitchen at home?NA: [nods, not looking at her mother]VE: What happened when you got there?NA: I was waiting at the bus stop near the Vicky Arms. They'd walked up from Summertown.VE: Who had, Nadine?NA: Patsie and Isabel and Sasha. Not Leah. Leah wasn't there.VE: And what time was this?NA: About 9.15. They said I had to be there by 9.00. Patsie had torches and stuff in her bag.ES: Did Sasha say anything when you all met up?NA: No. But she didn't look happy, I don't think she wanted to be there. She kept looking at her watch like there was somewhere else she was supposed to be.VE: Then what happened?NA: We went along the path to the river. Isabel went first, then Sasha, then Patsie, then me. Then suddenly Patsie was grabbing Sasha from behind and Isabel was ramming a carrier bag over her head, and then they got out some of those plastic things and tied her up. Sasha was falling over in the mud and she was trying to scream but you could see she didn't have enough air. Then Patsie got her phone out and started filming it but she could hardly do it for laughing, and then Isabel said `˜Don't forget the hair'.ES: `˜Don't forget the hair'?NA: [nods]ES: Why did she say that `“ do you know?NA: [shakes her head]VE: What did Patsie do after Isabel said that?NA: She pulled up Sasha's head by the hair and yanked some out at the back. Sasha was really really crying. She had really nice hair.ES: Then what?NA: Patsie told me to get out my knife and cut her. Sasha. I didn't want to, I was scared and I felt sick, but she said I had to and if I didn't we wouldn't be blood sisters and I'd be next. So I did. But it was just a little one. On her leg. Patsie and Isabel were still laughing `“ they were like, hysterical, like they were on drugs or something. Then Patsie looked at the cut I did and said it was pathetic and I had to do another one. So I did and there was more blood this time. Iz put some of it on my face.

[begins to weep]

Sasha was crying really bad. Calling for her mum. But they were just laughing and saying things like `˜that'll teach you', `˜stuck-up bitch', stuff like that.

[wiping her eyes]

She didn't know how much they hated her. She thought they liked her but I heard them talking about her when she wasn't there. They were really pissed off because she was prettier than them and Patsie thought she was trying to get off with her boyfriend.

[looking at each of the two officers]

I'm not making this up `“ I don't know his name but I heard Patsie talking about it. She went, like, totally apeshit.VE: We know, Nadine. We've spoken to him, and he told us the same thing.ES: So what happened next?NA: Isabel started kicking her and Patsie joined in. I tried to make them stop but Patsie said they'd do the same to me if I didn't shut the fuck up.VE: How long did that go on?NA: I dunno. It felt like ages but it probably wasn't. Then Patsie said I was a useless loser and gave me the handbag and told me to fuck off. To fuck off home and dump it somewhere on the way.ES: What about Sasha's phone?NA: She threw that in the river. There was a notebook too and she threw that in as well.VE: And then you went home.NA: [nods]ES: And Sasha was still alive at that point?NA: [nods]

I don't know what happened after that. I thought they'd all just go home. I threw up on the way back, and I had blood on my clothes and mud and stuff, so I put it all in the washing machine.

[weeping again]

I'm so sorry. I'd do anything to take it back. I can't stop thinking about it `“ES: What happened the next day?NA: When I got to school I saw Patsie and Iz but Sasha wasn't with them and didn't come to assembly either and I started to feel really sick. Then Patsie told me that if I said anything they'd give the police the video on the phone and I'd be the one who went to prison. Because I was the only one on the video.ES: They'd have gone to prison too. The video would prove they were there.NA: [silence]

I didn't think of that.* * *