Norm Kennedy interrupted with, ‘How do you mean, hidden?’
Amelia ‘For some unknown reason Frank hasn’t had a drink in front of me for nearly two years.’
Keith Fletcher , ‘Do you know why?’
Amelia ‘I think he was too embarrassed and ashamed to. He had gone into a clinic to sober up a couple of years ago and after he came out of the clinic, he’s never drank in front of me. I can’t think of any other reason.’
Norm Kennedy ‘Where did he hide his booze, do you know?’
Amelia ‘Oh. I found a couple of his hiding places, but as soon as he discovered I had pinched them, the bottles I mean, he’d find another hiding place. For all I know there could be a dozen bottles hidden all over the place right now. Once when we lived in another house, there was a bottle of vodka in a glass cabinet. I used to keep an eye on it to make sure it was still there. Until one day I noticed that the seal had been broken, he’d obviously had drunk the vodka and filled the bottle with water. He’s a cunning bugger, but then I can be a bit thick at times.’
They both shook their heads at me, I’d like to think that they were thinking that I wasn’t thick but they could’ve been thinking God how thick can you get?
Keith ‘Do you drink Amelia?’
Amelia ‘No, very rarely I might have an occasional Gin Squash, but generally I don’t. I don’t like the taste of most alcoholic drinks especially beer, it’s too sour.’
Both Detectives laughed
Amelia ‘Obviously you pair don’t share my opinion.’
Norm nodded
Keith ‘You’re not far from wrong there.
Amelia ‘Anyhow, I went around to Mum’s place with the kids and I was only away about an hour, when I got back, Frank was as blind as a bat.’
Norm ‘Was he staggering drunk?’
Amelia ‘No not quite, but not far from it.’
Norm ‘How many beers do you think he would have had?’
Amelia ‘Your guess would be as good as mine for all I know, he could have mixed his drinks. I know for a fact that he’s had Vodka with beer on occasions, and I’m almost certain he’s had a go at metho as well.’
Both Detectives nodded
Norm ‘What happened then?’
Amelia ‘Well when I saw that he was half shot, I told the kids to behave themselves and I started to prepare the table. I got the ham out and asked Frank to cut it for me. I’m pretty useless with a knife. I usually cut myself if I attempt to slice meat up. Anyhow, he cut it up and I distributed the slices out on the plates. Whilst I was dishing out, he went to the fridge and brought out a bottle of beer. I was surprised at that.
Keith ‘Did he say anything to you when he took the bottle out?’
Amelia ‘Oh he had been bitching whilst he was cutting the ham, and he said something about going around to his boss’s home, because there was a party going on there. He was trying to get me to bite, but I didn’t answer him, no matter what I had said, it would have been the wrong thing. When he got the beer out, he said, ‘Oh well. I think I’ll have a beer” I think it was his way of goading me into saying something about his drinking and also I think it was his way of saying, what do you think about that?
Norm ‘Did you say anything?’
Amelia ‘Well I guess I looked surprised, but I can’t remember if I said anything. I’m sure if I had, there would have been a blue then. He poured a beer and drank it fairly quickly, and then he went into the bedroom. I continued to dish out the rest of the food and I called the kids and Frank when it was ready. Frank came out and he had changed his clothes. He was wearing one of the shirts I had given him for Christmas. I looked up and said ‘Are you going out?’ and he replied, ‘Yep. I told ya, I’m going to a party.’ I got really annoyed about that, because the kids had practically begged me to stay down at my parent’s home for the day, but I thought to keep the peace, it would be better for us to come home and try to have a family Christmas with Frank.’
Keith ‘What happened then did the argument start then?’
Amelia ‘Argument it was more like World War Three. I said, ‘Christ, if I had’ve known you were going out, I would have stayed down at Mum and Dad’s place and had Christmas there.’ Well. That was enough fuel for his fire and it was on for young and old. One thing led to another and he even had the audacity to tell me not to raise my voice to him. Mind you, he was screaming top note himself. Anyhow, he came over and grabbed me by my throat and he clouted me across the head. I fell on the floor and was crying and the kids started screaming. I told them to get out of the room and they ran into the living room. Frank picked me up by the hair and started to thump me about.
Somehow, I managed to get away and I went into the bedroom to get a tissue to wipe my face. When I came back out, he was standing between the doorway of the kitchen and the living room. I walked out and sat in the lounge and I was crying. Frank ordered me to shut up, and I told him that I couldn’t. I just couldn’t stop sobbing. He took a flying dive at me and knocked me down onto the floor and he just kept hitting me and hitting me and hitting me.
As I was telling them what had happened, I was crying almost uncontrollably as I remembered my ordeal.
Norm ‘Would you like a glass of water?’
Amelia ‘Yes thank you.’
I attempted to stand up and Keith jumped to his feet,
Keith ‘I’ll get it for you, you just sit there.’
As he walked away
Amelia ‘I’m sorry for being so silly I don’t usually carry on like this. I don’t think I’ve ever cried so much in my life before, as I have in the past twenty-four hours.’
Norm ‘No, you’re alright. You’ve done very well so far.’
Keith returned handing me a glass of cold water.
Keith ‘There you are.’
Amelia ‘Oh thanks.’
After taking a mouthful and swallowing it gasping
Amelia ‘That’s better, my throat was as dry as a bone, come to think of it I haven’t had a thing to eat all day.’
Keith ‘Do you want something to eat?’
Embarrassed,
Amelia ‘Oh no thanks. I couldn’t stomach a thing after what’s happened, I just remembered that I never did get around to eating, that’s all. I can’t even remember if the kids ate either for that matter. Poor little buggers.’
As I took another sip of water,
Norm ‘Do you feel up to continuing?’
Amelia ‘Yes, I’m right, now, where was I?’
Norm