He seemed to realise that I had just noticed the notebook and he added, ‘Oh, I’m just jotting a few things down every so often, for when I write out my report.’
I nodded, but not really understanding, I couldn’t help wondering what his report would say.
Norm ‘Frank kept hitting you. What happened then?’
Taking a deep breath
Amelia ‘Claire came over and was pleading with him to stop and Frank was like a maniac. He picked her up by her arm and leg and flung her across the room and she landed on the lounge and bounced off. I screamed, “You fucking bastard, you could’ve killed her.”
I thought he had broken her back because she was lying there screaming and not moving. As soon as I called him that, he kicked me in the tailbone and I rolled onto my stomach. Christ it hurt.’ Then I heard Vivian yelling and I looked up and Frank had pushed her onto the ground and he punched her in the face and kicked out at her. I threw myself onto her to protect her, and Frank punched me again. Vivian got up and I told her to get Heather and Claire and run for it, meaning out the front door. They were too frightened to move. I got to my knees and crawled over to the lounge and Frank went to Claire and screamed at her to shut up. Then he started to walk towards the kitchen. I stood up and tried to carry Claire to the front door but Frank ran through the room and blocked us from going out. He ordered them to go back and sit on the lounge, and they did. Then he turned on me again, I begged him to stop. I just couldn’t take any more and he laughed and said, ‘That’s right bitch, you beg, because I’m your master.’ I was completely exhausted and practically fell on the ground and crawled over to the lounge. Frank went back to the kitchen and poured himself another beer. I wanted to run, but I knew that I couldn’t. I just sat there trying to think out a plan to get out, as soon as I could get my strength, if I ever got it.’
Norm ‘How did you get the knife?’
Amelia ‘Frank had ordered me not to move so I sat there for oh about five minutes while he abused me my hands were sopping with sweat just as they are now.’ Showing both detectives the palms of my hands my palms were bright red and the perspiration was oozing out of the pores. Without hesitating I blew my breath on my hands whilst I wriggled my fingers. And as I’ve done on numerous occasions, I wiped my hands down the side of my shorts.
Amelia ‘Believe it or not they often get worse than this. They were worse when I was sitting here with Frank abusing me. The only way I can really ease it a bit is to run them under cold running water. I asked him if I could wash my hands and he said, ‘Okay, providing you don’t get out of my sight.’ So, I went past him and went to the sink. I washed my hands and I looked around for the tea towel. It was over on the bench near the stove. When I picked it up and wiped my hands, I saw the knife had been underneath it. Frank was pouring himself another beer and as I dropped the tea towel down, I picked up the knife….
Norm Kennedy sat forward in his chair.
Norm ‘Right, now I want you to think carefully, Amelia, what were you thinking at that precise moment?’
I took a sip of water and frowned
Amelia ‘I think I was wishing him to get out,’
Norm ‘Was that all?’
Amelia ‘Yes, I think so Oh. I was also wishing how I could get to the back door, but I didn’t want to leave the kids in the house with him.’
Norm ‘Did you think, I’ll kill this bastard?’
Norm Kennedy’s voice had changed, instead of sounding sympathetic, he sounded as if he was accusing me.
Without hesitation, I said in a very offended tone, ‘No. I just wanted to get to safety I was terrified of what he might do next.’
His voice not so aggressive
Norm ‘What happened then?’
Amelia ‘Frank saw me holding the knife and said come on bitch, if you’re game enough.’
Norm ‘What did you do then?’
Amelia “Get out before I kill you, ya bastard.”
Norm ‘Did you feel that you wanted to kill him then?’
Wiping the perspiration off my face.
Amelia ‘No, I wanted to torture the bastard. I just wanted to give him a dose of his own medicine.
Keith ‘How far away from you was he?’
Amelia ‘He was still near the doorway and I was near the stove, that’d be about three feet wouldn’t it?’
Keith ‘About that, did he come towards you?’
Amelia ‘No he never moved other than his hands he stayed in the same position. He just kept taunting me to have a go. I walked towards him until I stood directly in front of him and I held the knife up in front of my chest.’
Norm ‘Where was the head of the knife?’
Amelia ‘About an inch away from his stomach.’
Norm ‘Was it near his naval would you say?’
Amelia ‘God. I don’t know I was looking at his face. I know my hand was shaking, I was shaking all over.’
Norm ‘Were you excited?’
Amelia ‘Jesus. You’ve got to be kidding, I was nearly shitting myself, and I was so scared.’
Norm ‘What were you scared of?
Amelia ‘HIM.’
I nearly screeched the word. I took a deep breath.
Amelia ‘He had this peculiar look on his face as if he was playing a game it was as if he had a surprise in store for me.’
Norm ‘How do you mean?’
Amelia ‘Oh you know, as if he was waiting for me to make the first move and he would win the game with his counter attack.’
Norm ‘Go on.’
Amelia ‘He said, ‘Go on, go on, you’re not game are you, and he held his hands above his head and he stuck his stomach out. I … I felt a sort of twitch in my hand.’
Norm ‘Your hand moved you mean?’
Amelia ‘I … I don’t know, it was a sort of sinking feeling as if my hand moved without me feeling it.’
Norm ‘Did you know that you had stabbed him at that stage?’
Amelia ‘No I didn’t know, I thought the knife may have, but I wasn’t sure. There was no force it was like as if the blade had sunk into thin air.’
Norm ‘How far did the blade penetrate?’
Amelia ‘I honestly don’t know I just cannot remember. I don’t remember pulling the blade out. I didn’t think it had even gone in. One minute he was standing there then he was staggering into the living room. It happened so bloody fast I just can’t remember.
As I was talking to Norm, I put both hands to my forehead and pushed my hair back off my face and stretched my neck backwards in an effort to think harder. Then I fell back on the lounge and gave out an exhausted moan. I shook my head slowly from side to side as if I was giving a negative answer to an invisible person.
Norm