The 'grooming' issue may be a little uncertain but it would seem to be well established that Maxine Carr did provide Huntly with previous alibi, did provide another in order to protect him in this case and most probably would have been prepared to lie in order to protect him again - had her evidence allowed him to 'get away' with the murder of these poor girls.

Remember too that she knew, taught and professed to like these two girls and that it was most probably this that led to the girls to trust Huntly enough to enter, what they probably thought of as Maxine Carr's house.