Used Against You

The police car is not badly damaged.

Nor is the tree.

Get in, says Victor.

We should wash our feet first, says Camus.

No, I'll bag them up, says Victor.

He opens the boot.

He takes out a multi-pack of disposable shoe pop-overs.

We use these at crime scenes, says Victor. Put them on.

Camus puts his on.

Terence's pop-overs are too baggy.

Don't worry, I'll knot them, says Victor. That will make them smaller.

Okay, says Terence.

At last they are all in the police car. 

Terence and Camus are in the back seat, with Gaius's bicycle wheels in between them.

The rest of the bicycle is in the boot with various police tools.

Right, says Victor. Off we go. And remember, anything you say may be used against you.

Terence tries to think of something he would like to be used against him.

A ladder, says Terence.

What are you talking about? asks Camus.

No, not a ladder, says Terence. A pony. And the ladder could be used against the pony. Or a camel, if it was a big enough ladder.

My warning was about WORDS, says Victor. Not things.

Words can be used against you, says Camus. Remember when Gaius made a joke about eating penguin pie?

With a penguin in it? asks Terence.

A cooked one, says Camus. But it was only a joke. He didn't really eat one.

So you admit it, says Victor. You lied when you claimed that he did it.

If I did, says Camus, it would be an example of his words being taken against him.

And yours, says Victor.

One more crime for the list.

Or a penguin, says Terence. Not a real one, a Daddy Bin one.

What this? asks Camus.

A ladder, says Terence. Daddy Bin Penguins are tall.

At least Terence's words can't be used against him, says Victor. They are incomprehensible.

That means I can talk, says Terence. Are we there yet?

Not yet, says Victor. You need a quiet activity. Why don't you draw all the birds you've seen on your travels? Here's a pencil.

He takes his police pencil out of his pocket, and hands it to Terence.

There's no paper, says Terence.

Take a sheet from my notepad, says Victor. Leave the top one.

He chucks the notepad into the back.

Camus catches it.

The top sheet contains a list of his alleged crimes.

1. Deliberately poisoning a peregrine falcon with chocolate

2. Escaping while in detention

3. Stealing a police car

4. Unauthorised use of a police water bottle and police gloves

5. 

6.

Five and six have not been filled in yet.

And may never be.