Keep Your Friends Close
Page 27
‘Meet me in Morecambe,’ said Karin, holding the bottle up before tipping it to her mouth.
She handed it to Louie.
‘To Morecambe,’ Louie replied. ‘And growing old together.’
A thought suddenly struck Karin. ‘Tell me one thing, Lou. Did you really take copies of my mother’s letters?’
‘What do you think?’ said Louie, laughing. ‘I would have let you go, if that’s what you’d really wanted. If I’d thought you really loved that guy, or just didn’t want me. I would. I’d have returned the money and let you go.’
Karin gave her hand a squeeze.
‘But not without a fight, and not until I understood what went wrong.’
‘I was wrong,’ said Karin. ‘I should never have left you.’
They began pushing each other towards the edge of the promenade, their laughter and screams going all the way out to sea.
Later on, Louie drove Karin to the station to get a train back to Leeds.
58
Karin
The police station was full of activity. A number of uniformed officers were going back and forth without taking much notice of her. She hovered around the desk behind a woman with cuts to her face. Karin noticed a row of seats to her left and sat down next to a man who had something to do with the woman, maybe her boyfriend, in a worse state than she was. The smell of alcohol was overpowering. Soon the officer dealing with Karin returned from behind the desk carrying some papers and escorted her to an interview room, asking a colleague to get them both a cup of tea.
The hot liquid warmed her insides. She was told to take her time. Karin had no idea where to start but she supposed it should be with living rough on the streets of Leeds, where she first met Will. And where Mel had found her under the Dark Arches and afterwards took her home. She didn’t mention anything about being stepsisters, as that would lead back to her mother. Karin wanted them to concentrate on finding Will’s killer first.
It all sounded so complicated. She felt judged, immediately under suspicion, with no real evidence other than a confession that she claimed to have heard from Mel, and a keyring she said Mel had stolen from Will. They seemed interested in the CCTV footage idea though, and Karin just prayed this would provide a solid link to Mel.
The most important thing was that she had told them the truth. That was about all Karin could do for Will now. They said she was free to go and would be paying her another visit at Ashby Road.
Stepping out into the fresh air again, Karin felt lighter, more at ease with herself and the world. She raised her face up to the sky, feeling the warmth from the sun just beginning to poke through the clouds.
‘I did it, Will,’ she said. ‘I did it.’
Back at Ashby Road, in Will’s room, the elation soon evaporated. The consequences of her actions were beginning to sink in, and she felt Will’s absence even more. Sitting on his bed; her clothes hanging in his wardrobe; brushing her teeth in his sink; seated at his desk looking out at his bench around his special tree. He was gone, and nothing she could do would ever bring him back.
For now, though, her life was continuing and she had a meeting to go to regarding another housing project which they wanted her to manage. She slipped a cardigan over her shoulders, deciding it was too scruffy and opened the drawer next to the wardrobe to find another one more suitable. That’s when she noticed a patch of wallpaper coming away from the wall where it joined with the next piece. A frayed edge poked out from behind the wardrobe. On closer inspection it looked like it had been deliberately torn away, and as Will had only just finished decorating this room a few days before he was killed, it seemed strange there would be any damage to it already.
She shifted the drawers to one side and managed to pull the wardrobe forwards, enough to see some words written in heavy black ink on the wall itself. Peeling the wallpaper back further, she realized it was a message from Will:
CAN’T STAY HERE NO MORE
THREATENED ME
NAME IS M – E – L
The letters of her name were spelled out using British Sign Language signs.
59
Karin
A fortnight had gone by since making her statement to the police. They had seen Will’s message on the wall and carried out a handwriting match against the forms he had filled in on his arrival at the charity. Karin was told it would take a while to investigate all the other leads she had given them. They were fairly hopeful, however, that they had tracked down a couple, likely to be Aaron and Mel, to an address in Greece. As Karin suspected, they hadn’t used false names or attempted to cover their tracks. The other good news was that CCTV had shown Mel purchasing three bottles of whisky at the Tesco Express, after leaving Karin on the night of the art exhibition. Karin had proof that she wasn’t with Mel at that point because she had an Uber receipt for the taxi she got back to Aaron’s.
Sooner or later the police would want to speak to her mother. The money had initiated from her and they would want to check it was legitimate in the first place.
Karin wasn’t afraid of the truth coming out any more, but was determined to make the most of the time she had left. She had met up with Louie a few times, on the understanding that, at least for now, they were rebuilding a friendship so that neither of them would be hurt when it came to being separated. In the end Louie had given her full support for Karin going to the police. Between them, they agreed to say that the fake death was all part of the blackmailing pressure Louie had been put under in order to protect Karin. Which it was, in effect.
Karin intended to carry on working for as long as she could. She was campaigning for the next housing project, while also making sure that someone else could pick up smoothly from where she left off. She had been asked to do a succession of radio interviews and give talks at local schools on being the voice of a generation. It seemed that people really did want to listen to what she had to say. Karin had to decline these, however. It wasn’t sending the right sort of message out if she was then arrested. The case would be huge when it finally hit the news. Her mother was well known; two people dead, one fake death, and a juicy blackmail trail.
Karin never expected to get that call. Even though she had dreamed of it many times. It happened in the middle of a meeting. Although she didn’t recognize the number she felt she ought to take it, due to everything that was going on. Karin excused herself and stepped outside.
‘Mamma? Are you okay?’ She was shocked to hear her mother’s voice.
‘Did you go to the police, Karin?’
‘Erm yes. Yes, I did.’
Karin closed her eyes, her body slowly sinking.
So this was it then.
‘Have they – have they been to see you already, Mamma?’
Her chest felt as though it was being crushed between two giant slabs of ice.
‘No, not yet. But am I still to assume that they will be coming?’
‘Yes, for sure. And look, I don’t blame you.’ Karin had to whisper into her phone, not wishing to be heard by people passing in the corridor. She turned to face the wall. ‘I didn’t mean to make you sad, Mamma. I really didn’t mean to do it. I didn’t mean to kick the steps away. I really didn’t mean—’
‘You didn’t.’
Karin stared at the wall.
‘What?’ She thought she must have missed something.
‘You didn’t kick the steps away, Karin. Okay?’
‘No, I did. I really did. But I didn’t mean it, Mamma. I’m sorry, I truly am. He told me those things I told you, about my dad, which made me so angry and I just—’
‘Shush, Karin. Listen to me.’ Her voice was stern, sharp-edged. ‘I know what I saw.’
‘Well, so what did you see?’
‘It’s what I told them in the first place. He kicked the steps away and hanged himself. That’s what happened. Because that’s what I saw.’
Karin lowered the phone, letting her forehead fall onto the wall.
‘Thanks, Mamma,�
� she whispered. ‘Thank you.’
Karin wasn’t sure what to do with the silence that followed. But Birgitta was still there; she hadn’t hung up.
‘Does that mean, do you think, I can come and see you? Some time? Up in Scotland?’
She waited but nothing came back.
‘There’s someone I’d really love you to meet. She’s an artist. I think you’ll like her. Remember what you said, Mamma? You said, when that person enters your life you just know. And that you should hang onto them no matter what. Well it’s her. She’s called Louie.’
The next pause was worrying. A forever pause.
‘I’d like that too, Karin. You should come. Bring your friend.’
Acknowledgements
Thanks to:
Finn Cotton, for your patience and insight. A tremendously good editor with a sharp eye, and a pleasure to work with. And the Killer Reads team in general.
Shelley Instone, a massive influence and brilliant editor.
All the people I can “talk writing” to … fellow Killer Reads authors. Script Yorkshire folks and other members of the Board. Also Maria Malone, Gemma Head, the ‘Js’, and our recently formed writers group. The ones on social media too.
Those who keep the book scene buoyant in Leeds – Fiona Gell of Leeds Big Bookend. The Hyde Park Book Club. The gorgeous Leeds Library. Your support is so much appreciated.
Lisa and Adrian Burch, the creative duo who produced an excellent book trailer for the last one, Losing Juliet.
All my Leeds friends, you really are the best, including those who’ve moved away. And other friends, you know who you are, I hope we see each other very soon. (I like to keep my friends close and have no time for enemies!)
Walt and Art, for making me laugh and being so smart. Grandma Sal and Nana Boo, you are greatly missed.
The McMahons and the Taylors, who’ve always been there for me, family is everything. Mrs Joon, with your relentless energy and encouragement, your enormous sense of fun, you keep us all afloat. Tim, I’m sorry I have this writing disease but so many thanks for your support! Pearl, my big sister, whom I miss and adore, I still look up to you even now. Dad, I hope I made you proud.
Helen Cadbury, my friend and fellow writer. You had my back on the first book and I’ll always remember that. I miss your wit and wisdom, your kindness, and all the daft email banter. You were a special human being.
The locations in this book around Leeds are a mixture of reality and fiction. The Midland hotel in Morecambe does exist and is a wonderful place. I have tried to give an accurate portrayal of Morecambe, too, and all the other locations, but bear in mind this is a work of fiction.
The characters are totally made up, I promise.
Finally, if you enjoyed Keep Your Friends Close, I’d be grateful if you could leave a review. It’s a big ask, I know, but every one of them helps the writer. (e.g. on Amazon, Goodreads, etc.)
Loved Keep Your Friends Close? Try Losing Juliet, another gripping psychological thriller from June Taylor…
You can’t escape the past…
Click here to order a copy of Losing Juliet
About the Author
June Taylor was a TV promotions writer and producer for many years before turning to writing plays and fiction. She was runner-up in the 2011 Times/Chicken House Children’s Fiction competition with Young Adult novel Lovely me, Lovely You. Keep Your Friends Close is her second psychological thriller for adults. June is active in the Yorkshire writing scene, including serving on the board of Script Yorkshire and taking part in Leeds Big bookend.
Follow June on Twitter: @joonLT
Visit June’s website at: www.junetaylor.co.uk
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