Ear-Witness by Mary Ann Scott Page B

didn’t answer, she did.
    â€œYou’d be suspicious about why,” she said.
    â€œI told you why.”
    â€œAnd you’d wonder about the other stuff this witness told you. Whether it’s reliable. Whether the witness is covering up something else.”
    â€œI’m not covering up anything! The Orellanas heard the same stuff I did!”
    â€œThat’s true, they did. But they weren’t able to identify either male voice. You said one was Mr. Bird, but you didn’t know the other.”
    â€œThat’s true!”
    â€œSo now I’m wondering if you were covering up again. When you said you couldn’t identify that second voice.”
    I shook my head. “I never heard the other guy before in my life.”
    â€œWe have a report that someone who could have been Raffi was there that night. That he came around from the back of your building. At about 3:00 A.M. ”
    â€œWho? Who said that?”
    â€œA neighbour.”
    â€œThat person’s lying!”
    â€œWhat makes you so sure? Raffi left work at twelve, and he usually stays till two.”
    I swallowed again. “Raffi isn’t a murderer! I know him. He’s kind, and gentle. I’ve never even heard him raise his voice!”
    â€œIs he a druggie?”
    â€œRaffi? No! He hardly even drinks!”
    â€œThe guy this witness saw was big. The guy you saw when he broke in that night you were babysitting was big. Raffi’s big.”
    I groaned. “So is half the world! And the man I saw wasn’t Raffi.”
    â€œI thought you couldn’t identify him? Couldn’t see enough.”
    â€œI couldn’t, but if he was someone I knew, I’m sure I’d have...”
    â€œHe made some kind of noise, in the baby’s room. So you heard his voice ...”
    â€œIt wasn’t Raffi! And I think it was sort of a laugh,” I said. “But it didn’t have any voice sound to it. It was like he let out his breath.”
    â€œA laugh? The murderer comes back to the scene of the crime, scares the living daylights out of you, and then laughs? And you think he wasn’t someone you know?”
    I had nothing to say to that, so that’s what I said. Nothing.

    When my mother gets mad she paces and waves her hands around. Fortunately, she was mad at Sheena, not me, but I felt guilty anyhow.
    â€œCan she do that?” she said. “Question Jess like that, without an adult present?”
    Raffi shrugged.
    So did I. “She did it,” I said.
    â€œCooped up in a cop car!” Mom said. “Confined! Like you were in jail!”
    â€œIt wasn’t that bad. I mean she didn’t lock me in or anything,” I said. “At least I don’t think she did.”
    Raffi wasn’t too happy either, but for a different reason. “I don’t like the way this is developing,” he said. “Do you think I’m a suspect?”
    â€œDon’t be ridiculous, Raffi,” Mom said “I should complain, that’s what I should do. She’s not going to get away with treating Jess like that.” She opened the fridge, poked around for a while, then shut it. “Who is it you report things like that to? The Police Complaints Commission, isn’t it?”
    â€œMom...”
    Raffi held up his hand, warning me off. “You’ll only make things worse, Lynda,” he said. “Just draw more attention to me. Make that cop even madder.”
    â€œBut you haven’t done anything!” Mom wailed.
    â€œIt’s my fault,” I said. When nobody disagreed with me, I got up and started setting the table for supper. Raffi had cooked: soup from a can and grilled cheese sandwiches.
    I looked over at Mom. “You can’t complain,” I said. “Sheena phoned you. You knew she was going to talk to me.”
    Mom looked like she didn’t want to agree, but eventually she nodded. “I suppose,” she said.