The Room (23 page)

A
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Yes. Yes. Im sure.

Q
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How can you be so certain?

A
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Because she was never in the car.

Q
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How do you know? How can you be so certain she was never in the car?

A
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Because I drove— I dont know who youre talking about. There was—

Q
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Werent you about to say that you drove her car?

A
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No.

Q
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Werent you about to say that you drove her car to the deserted part of town and there you and your partner raped her?

A
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No! NO!

Q
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You didnt drive her car?

A
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NO.

Q
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Did Harry?

A
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NO. I mean—

Q
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You mean Harry was driving behind you in the patrol car?

A
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No. I was — I mean I dont know what youre talking about.

Q
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You mean after you had hit the defendant on the head when he was on the floor, and thought he was unconcious, you and Harry did not laugh about the woman you had just raped?

A
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NO. NO.

Q
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You mean the defendant just imagined the conversation?

A
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He couldnt have heard anything like that.

Q
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Why? Because he was unconscious?

A
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Yes. No. I mean we didnt say anything like that.

Q
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If he couldnt have heard it then he must have been unconscious.

A
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I dont know.

Q
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You dont know what he heard?

A
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No.

Q
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Where were you sitting?

A
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In the back.

Q
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With your feet on the defendants head?

A
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No.

Q
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On his back?

A
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No.

Q
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Then where were your feet?

A
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On the floor.

Q
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They were not on the back of the defendants head, shoving his face into the floor of the car?

A
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No. No. Absolutely not.

Q
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Did you notice a smell of perfume?

A
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No.

Q
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Did the defendant?

A
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No.

Q
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Was the defendant conscious?

A
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I guess so.

Q
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You guess so. Why dont you know definitely whether or not he was conscious?

A
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I dont know. I just … I guess he was.

Q
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Was there any reason for you to think he might not be conscious?

A
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We didnt knock him out if thats what youre getting at.

Q
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I did not ask you to think about the reasons for the question. I repeat, was there any reason for you to think he was not conscious?

A
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No.

Q
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If that is the case you must have believed him to be conscious?

A
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I guess so. Yes. Yes, I believe he was conscious.

Q
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Then perhaps he was the one who mentioned smelling perfume?

A
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No.

Q
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You are certain?

A
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Yes. Absolutely.

Q
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How can you be so positive?

A
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Because the defendant didnt say anything.

Q
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Not one single word?

A
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No.

Q
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You mean this criminal who was so desperate that he tried to run over 2 armed and well-trained police officers just lay there, docilely, and let you take him into custody without saying so much as one single word?

A
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Yes.

Q
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He did not even inquire as to where he was being taken?

A
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No.

Q
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Isnt that unusual? I mean, doesnt a man usually say something when being taken into custody?

A
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Well, sometimes.

Q
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Only sometimes? Not most of the time?

A
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Well, yes, I guess they usually do.

Q
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Well, if such is the case, werent you concerned?

A
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No.

Q
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Why not?

A
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He was safely cuffed. We knew he couldnt get away.

Q
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I appreciate your efficiency. But I was referring to whether or not the defendant was alive or dead.

A
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We knew he was alive.

Q
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How did you know? Did you feel his pulse?

A
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No.

Q
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Yet you were certain he was alive?

A
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Yes.

Q
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Did you examine him in any way to ascertain whether or not he was alive?

A
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Well, no.

Q
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Then how could you be so certain he was alive?

A
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I dont know. I just knew.

Q
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You just knew? I realize that you are well trained, but I still find it amazing that you could be so confident. You have a man face down on the floor of your patrol car, a man whom you were forced to hit on the head with your gun because he tried to escape, a man you did not knock unconscious, a man who later fell against the wall, was unable to walk for some unknown reason and who then lay still, without making the slightest sound, and yet you were supremely confident that he was all right. It never occurred to you that he might have had a heart attack?

A
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Well, no.

Q
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Or a stroke?

A
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No.

Q
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Yet you did not beat him?

A
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No. Definitely not.

Q
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And your feet were not on his head or his back where you could, perhaps, feel him breathing?

A
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My feet were on the floor.

Q
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Then for all you knew you had a dead man on the floor of the patrol car and you did not even bother to examine him?

A
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I knew he wasnt dead.

Q
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I ask again. How did you know?

A
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I just knew. How should I know how I knew? I just knew he was alive.

Q
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Even though he didnt utter a sound?

A
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Yes.

Q
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Then it must have been Harry who mentioned the perfume and Mrs Haagstromm.

A
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NO. NO.

Q
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Then who did?

A
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I dont know.

Q
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Well, there was no one else in the patrol car. Or was there?

A
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No. Of course not.

Q
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Then if neither you nor Harry mentioned the smell of perfume and Mrs Haagstromm, it had to be the defendant.

A
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No. He didnt say nothing.

Q
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Why? Was he silent because you had brutalized him and beaten him into unconsciousness? Is that why he couldnt have mentioned the perfume?

A
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No. NO. There was no smell of perfume in the car.

Q
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How can you be so certain? Wasnt Mrs Haagstromm ever in the car?

A
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No. I mean I dont know.

Q
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Didnt she smell of perfume?

A
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I dont re— a—

Q
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Didnt you tell Harry that she smelled like a rose when you threw her in the back of the car?

A
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I didnt throw her in
—

Q
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Where did you throw her?

A
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I didnt throw her anywhere.

Q
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You left her in her car?

A
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Yes – NO. NO. I dont even know her. I dont know what youre talking about.

Q
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Harry drove her car and you followed. Didnt you?

A
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NO. NO.

Q
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Did you know she identified you by your name tag?

A
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She couldnt. I took – YOU LIE. LIE. I DONT KNOW HER. I NEVER SAW HER IN MY LIFE.

Q
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Then how could she identify you as one of the police officers who raped and attacked her
—

A
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You lie. NO. NO. Lie.

Q
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Laboratory tests prove that you
—