On the Strawberry Moon - 24. Chapter 24

Robert waited a long time to see the detectives, it was too long and he couldn’t wait any longer.

He needed more support on this. He needed backup.

He couldn’t speak to the care home, they had done such a crap job as it was. They only realised something was wrong the day Kalum was knocked out and went to hospital and that nurse picked it up.

The nurse.

Robert left the police station and made his way to the hospital.

‘Excuse me,’ Robert was at the hospital reception. He tapped his fingers alongside the desk, full of nerves.

The receptionist gave him a gentle smile through the glass.

It was a such a huge long shot. But he had to ask.

‘Is there a nurse here? Alex? I think?’ Robert asked.

The receptionist titled her head, ‘What is your query with Alex please?’

‘I know he gets lots of patients but does he remember the boy on the TV for the school thing? His twin brother who fell and hurt his head? I just wanted to speak with him, if that was okay?’

The Next Day

‘Sir, Sir!’ Robert banged his fist hard on the classroom door.

Things were almost back to normal at the school, a few lessons back on, a police officer walked each of corridors now. Not everything was open, only one or classes open, most of the students still away. There was an unspoken vibe of everything and everyone on edge. Teachers kept their heads down. Running had ceased. People just walked to class as quick as they could.

It was early Monday morning and Robert banged on his door. Mr Johnson beckoned him in. Robert shut the door and rushed to him.

‘Sir, can I talk to you? You’re just the only one I notice who talked to them separately so I know you can help me.’

‘Talked to who? Sit down, Robert, it’s okay.’

Standing still, Robert’s feet anchored him down. ‘The twins. Jasper and Robert.’

Mr Johnson’s eyes cast down, ‘How have you been dealing with it? It’s a tough time for everyone at the moment. I understand you were friends. If you need to go home, that’s absolutely fine.’

Robert snapped, ‘Not Jasper. That isn’t Jasper in jail. It’s Kalum, they got the wrong twin.’

‘Okay, Robert.’

‘No, it’s not,’ he completely broke. ‘Jasper has been abusing Kalum. No one else saw it, but me, and Kalum and I got close, and I just know it’s Kalum they took by mistake. It’s not just me, I spoke to a nurse at the hospital too and he said he believes me and is going to help.’

‘Why would they take Kalum?’

‘Because Jasper would have made him take the gun from him, he’s a psycho!’

Mr Johnson got up and placed a hand on Robert’s shoulder, as Robert was fully crying now

‘No one is believing me, I don’t know what to do, so that’s why I went to the hospital,’ Robert whimpered. ‘I thought if I could get people who have seen the signs that have been there for ages, we could help free Kalum.’

‘You are sure? That Kalum is in prison?’

‘On the day he brought it in, the gun, Kalum went out to speak to Jasper. To stop him from shooting more. It was just them two in the room for ages. Kalum and Jasper are completely different, I know the real Kalum.’

Mr Johnson thought back on the essays, Kalum’s behaviour, his writing style. He wished he had done a huge more than he had.

‘I believe you, Robert.’ He said firmly, as Robert finally sat down ‘We have to go to the police. Did you say that the nurse you spoke to would come along.’

‘Yes. He said he would bring paperwork over too. He gave me his work phone number too. I tried to go before, to the police station, but I was waiting for ages, they kept saying they would come out but they never did and I didn’t want to just sit there doing nothing,’ Robert said, his head low. ‘I can’t bear the thought of Kalum suffering in there, and Jasper could just bring in another gun and do it all over again.’

Mr Johnson sensed Robert’s feeling for Kalum were stronger than friendship but Robert was so vulnerable right now.

‘I tell you what we will do,’ Mr Johnson said his voice soft. ‘I’m going to speak to one of the officers now, and see if we can get them to take us to the police station, okay?’

‘You believe me?’ Robert whispered.

Giving a short smile, Mr Johnson added, in a low tone, ‘How long have you known Jasper was abusing Kalum.’

‘Kalum didn’t say much but he said it had been ongoing a while, Jasper wouldn’t let him do anything or talk to anyone about it.’

***
‘I mean, it makes sense,’ the female detective told her partner. ‘He’s not answering the questions, it would make sense if it’s not him. He genuinely wouldn’t know.’

‘He’s protecting his brother,’ the male detective added. ‘If it’s years of abuse like they’ve said, it will be psychologically damaging. How do we get him to talk?’

The female detective looked through her notes, ‘We’ll ask about his past, maybe trigger something.’

‘The officers are at the school picking the other twin up,’ an officer pipped up passing a file to the detectives,

The detective nodded, grabbing the files. They were heading down the corridor to the interrogation room.

It was time for another interview.

Kalum was getting frustrated at his lawyer person. He got that he wasn’t paid to care but he was paid to do something other than just state law facts at them. Absolutely useless. That’s what the care home could afford, he supposed.

He watched again as the two detectives came into the room; they did their times, dates and their names and started the recording.

He didn’t sleep much last night in the weird room again. His cell felt like it had thin walls, his clothes were baggy and light grey and smelt a little of someone else’s sweat.

Kalum stared at the table, unblinking, not really listening to what the detectives were saying.

All he could do, the night before, was lie on the hard mattress, thinking about Simon.

‘Did you know we had another brother?’ he randomly asked.

The female detective looked up and paused.

‘I don’t remember him much,’ Kalum continued. ‘Think there was an accident. Is it in my file?’

The male detective cleared his throat and said, ‘Yes, it will be. Were you and Simon close?’

‘I don’t know.’

‘Do you think Kalum does?’

Kalum paused, remembering his bearings. He was supposed to be the cool confident twin, Jasper.

Leaning forward, he stretched his arms out on the table. ‘Not sure. We’ve never talked about it.’

‘That’s understandable,’ the female detective said, carefully. ‘Trauma can be too much. Were you ever given the chance of counselling?’

‘No.’

There was silence in the room. The clock ticked louder than before.

‘Is there any reason you brought up Simon?’ the male detective said.

‘Just been thinking about it.’

‘Is that the reason you brought the gun into school?’

Kalum passed. Then he said, ‘I don’t think so.’

‘You don’t think so?’

‘I mean, no.’ Kalum’s head started to hurt a little bit, as if little sparks were coming out of his head mushing his brain. Shaking his head, Kalum rubbed his eyes. He tapped his foot with nervous.

‘Did you ever want to talk about Simon?’

‘Maybe.’

‘Did Jasper ever want to talk about Simon.’

‘No.’

Crap. Kalum sighed. He didn’t stop himself in time.

Both the detective just looked at him, knowing. He was the wrong twin.

All Kalum could do was sigh again and stared at his hands.

The male detective took over, ‘Why are you here instead of Jasper, Kalum?’

Kalum couldn’t answer and gave a little shrug. His head was getting very fuzzy now. A high pitch noise was coming out of his ear.

The detective asked more things and all the words were garbled up in the air.

Then everything went black for Kalum.

He heard sounds of chair scrapping and the sweeping rush of people around him as he collapsed. Everything was fuzzy and black. His head felt empty.