popping.
‘When she died he started on me.’
She puts the tube in her mouth and inhales the smoke.
‘I stayed for a bit, for my little sisters, but when they got taken into care I legged it.’
‘I’m sorry, Caz,’ says Luke.
Her mouth has gone slack and her voice when it comes is a rasp. ‘What about you? What brings you to the Costa del Shit Hole?’
He looks down at his feet and pulls the lace of his trainer. ‘I got involved in something bad. Somebody—a girl, I mean—got something terrible done to her.’
‘Raped?’ asks Caz.
Luke nods, shame burning hot on his cheeks.
‘Three of us took her into a park,’ he says. ‘She was terrified.’
‘That’s rough,’ says Caz.
‘I didn’t help her,’ he says. ‘I did absolutely nothing to help her.’
Caz puts the flame under the foil again and chases the smoke around the edges.
‘Do you hate me?’ he asks.
‘We all do stuff we’re not proud of,’ she says.
His eyes sting. ‘But what I did is so disgusting.’
‘Not for me to judge.’
He looks up at her, relieved by her words—but terrified her eyes will betray them as lies. He’s glad when he sees her chin has gouched onto her chest.
Chapter Six
‘Thanks for this,’ said Lilly, and strapped Sam into the back of Penny’s new Range Rover. ‘Can I give you something towards the petrol?’
Penny crossed her arms. ‘My husband is a hedge fund manager and I drive past your house on the way to school.’
‘It’s still good of you to take him for me.’
Penny shut the car door and turned her back so the children couldn’t hear. ‘You know it’s no problem for me, but I’m still not sure this is a good idea.’
Lilly had had to confide in her friend when it occurred to her that she couldn’t leave Anna alone during the school run, and she certainly couldn’t take her back to what was effectively the scene of the crime.
‘It’s only for a week, two at most,’ said Lilly.
‘But this is your home,’ said Penny.
Lilly touched Penny’s hand. ‘I know it seems like a step too far.’
‘No shit, Sherlock.’
‘But if you knew what Anna had been through you’d understand,’ said Lilly.
‘Don’t be too sure about that.’
‘It makes your foster kids look like they’ve been living with Jamie Oliver.’
Penny nodded. ‘Just don’t let anybody at Manor Park find out you’re subletting to the opposition. Luella says there are hundreds of journalists still hanging around and you wouldn’t want them finding out, now would you?’
When Penny started up the engine, Lilly tapped on the window and waved at Sam. He looked the other way.
‘Tell me how you came to England.’
Anna looked startled, a fox in headlights.
‘I can’t defend you unless I know all about you,’ said Lilly.
It felt strange to be conducting an interview in her kitchen, and Lilly wasn’t sure she liked it. True, it was convenient to have a kettle and tea bags to hand, and she hadn’t needed to pull on more than her jeans, but there was something uncomfortable about discussing murder in the place where she normally baked cakes.
Anna spread her palms on the kitchen table. ‘My father paid a man.’
‘Did you leave Kosovo with Artan?’ asked Lilly.
Anna shook her head, slowly, deliberately. ‘No. I left with my brother, Brahim.’
‘What happened to Brahim?’
The words were flat, almost mechanical. ‘We were separated on the journey. I don’t know what happened to him.’
‘Have you tried to find him?’ said Lilly. ‘Has he made contact with you?’
Again, Anna shook her head.
‘And the rest of your family?’ asked Lilly.
‘Mother and sisters burned. Father missing.’
‘So you have no one here?’ asked Lilly.
‘No one.’
Lilly thought of Artan’s body sprawled on the ground, the whites of his eyes milky and still. If he was all Anna had left how must she feel now he was dead?
‘Why did Artan do it, Anna? Why did he go to the school?’
The girl closed
‘When she died he started on me.’
She puts the tube in her mouth and inhales the smoke.
‘I stayed for a bit, for my little sisters, but when they got taken into care I legged it.’
‘I’m sorry, Caz,’ says Luke.
Her mouth has gone slack and her voice when it comes is a rasp. ‘What about you? What brings you to the Costa del Shit Hole?’
He looks down at his feet and pulls the lace of his trainer. ‘I got involved in something bad. Somebody—a girl, I mean—got something terrible done to her.’
‘Raped?’ asks Caz.
Luke nods, shame burning hot on his cheeks.
‘Three of us took her into a park,’ he says. ‘She was terrified.’
‘That’s rough,’ says Caz.
‘I didn’t help her,’ he says. ‘I did absolutely nothing to help her.’
Caz puts the flame under the foil again and chases the smoke around the edges.
‘Do you hate me?’ he asks.
‘We all do stuff we’re not proud of,’ she says.
His eyes sting. ‘But what I did is so disgusting.’
‘Not for me to judge.’
He looks up at her, relieved by her words—but terrified her eyes will betray them as lies. He’s glad when he sees her chin has gouched onto her chest.
Chapter Six
‘Thanks for this,’ said Lilly, and strapped Sam into the back of Penny’s new Range Rover. ‘Can I give you something towards the petrol?’
Penny crossed her arms. ‘My husband is a hedge fund manager and I drive past your house on the way to school.’
‘It’s still good of you to take him for me.’
Penny shut the car door and turned her back so the children couldn’t hear. ‘You know it’s no problem for me, but I’m still not sure this is a good idea.’
Lilly had had to confide in her friend when it occurred to her that she couldn’t leave Anna alone during the school run, and she certainly couldn’t take her back to what was effectively the scene of the crime.
‘It’s only for a week, two at most,’ said Lilly.
‘But this is your home,’ said Penny.
Lilly touched Penny’s hand. ‘I know it seems like a step too far.’
‘No shit, Sherlock.’
‘But if you knew what Anna had been through you’d understand,’ said Lilly.
‘Don’t be too sure about that.’
‘It makes your foster kids look like they’ve been living with Jamie Oliver.’
Penny nodded. ‘Just don’t let anybody at Manor Park find out you’re subletting to the opposition. Luella says there are hundreds of journalists still hanging around and you wouldn’t want them finding out, now would you?’
When Penny started up the engine, Lilly tapped on the window and waved at Sam. He looked the other way.
‘Tell me how you came to England.’
Anna looked startled, a fox in headlights.
‘I can’t defend you unless I know all about you,’ said Lilly.
It felt strange to be conducting an interview in her kitchen, and Lilly wasn’t sure she liked it. True, it was convenient to have a kettle and tea bags to hand, and she hadn’t needed to pull on more than her jeans, but there was something uncomfortable about discussing murder in the place where she normally baked cakes.
Anna spread her palms on the kitchen table. ‘My father paid a man.’
‘Did you leave Kosovo with Artan?’ asked Lilly.
Anna shook her head, slowly, deliberately. ‘No. I left with my brother, Brahim.’
‘What happened to Brahim?’
The words were flat, almost mechanical. ‘We were separated on the journey. I don’t know what happened to him.’
‘Have you tried to find him?’ said Lilly. ‘Has he made contact with you?’
Again, Anna shook her head.
‘And the rest of your family?’ asked Lilly.
‘Mother and sisters burned. Father missing.’
‘So you have no one here?’ asked Lilly.
‘No one.’
Lilly thought of Artan’s body sprawled on the ground, the whites of his eyes milky and still. If he was all Anna had left how must she feel now he was dead?
‘Why did Artan do it, Anna? Why did he go to the school?’
The girl closed
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