The Silent Suspect

by Nell Pattison

  Roy came in and worked the room as he usually did, shaking hands and making jokes with the other regulars, flirting with the girl who was serving, despite the fact that she was easily young enough to be his daughter. If he wanted to sit and have a serious conversation with Roy he’d do best to wait until he’d finished his ritual and was ready to sit down with a drink. It meant he had to wait about fifteen minutes, but he could be patient.

  Lukas, Roy declared, smacking him on the shoulder as he sat down next to him. How are you?

  Roy wasn’t as good a signer as he thought he was, but Lukas had to give him credit for his efforts. Of course, recently he’d come to realise that Roy had only put the effort in because he felt it could benefit him somehow. They’d built up a friendship over several years of sitting at the bar together, but the dynamic had changed ever since Lukas had accepted Roy’s offer of a loan. He should have known at the time that it was a bad idea, that he should have gone to the bank instead, but he thought they might turn him down. Now he was racking up a huge amount of interest every day, interest Roy had somehow never thought to mention before the money was in Lukas’s possession, and there was no clear way that he’d ever be able to repay it.

  I’m okay, Lukas replied, wary of Roy’s intentions. There was a gleam in his eye tonight that Lukas didn’t like.

  Good. And what about that lovely wife of yours? Has she been working hard?

  Lukas noticed a smirk on Roy’s face. What’s that supposed to mean?

  Roy let out an unpleasant laugh. Oh, you know. Nadia is obviously very interested in helping you pay back your debt. It’s … Roy paused for a moment and switched to fingerspelling the next word: admirable. But I wouldn’t let my woman go around doing what she’s doing, just to earn some money. I wouldn’t feel like a man if she had to do that.

  Do what? What do you mean? Lukas had no idea what Roy was talking about, but he got a sinking sensation in the pit of his stomach as he thought about what he might mean.

  Where were you this afternoon? Roy asked, his face a picture of innocence.

  I was at work. Why?

  Maybe you should ask your wife why she felt the need to dress herself up like a tart after she’d finished work.

  Lukas thought about the nice dress Nadia had been wearing when he’d got home, then looked at the smug expression on Roy’s face. Oh no, she wouldn’t. Would she? He felt a sickening mixture of horror and anger at the idea. How could he have let it get to the stage where Nadia felt that was their only option? He knew things had been difficult recently, especially with the disruption in their home, but he hadn’t expected her to be that desperate to change things.

  Getting to his feet so quickly that he knocked over his stool, Lukas jabbed a finger towards Roy’s face.

  Don’t you dare say a word about my wife!

  Roy laughed again, and Lukas saw red, throwing a punch before he even stopped to think. A moment later, two other men were pulling him off. They dragged him over to the door and threw him out onto the street. Seething, Lukas kicked the wall a couple of times. Should he wait outside for Roy to emerge and then finish what he’d started? Even through his rage, Lukas knew that wasn’t a good idea. Roy ran a gym, and he had plenty of strong blokes who would help him out, so Lukas wouldn’t stand a chance.

  Letting out a roar of fury and frustration, Lukas turned away from the pub, intending to head home. Before he got very far, however, he felt a hand on his shoulder and he was spun around, a punch landing in his gut before he could even see his attacker. He fell to the ground and automatically curled up, arms covering his head as kicks and blows rained down on him.

  As soon as the attack had started, it ended, and Lukas found himself lying on the pavement panting, alone. It was a warning, he realised. If they’d wanted to put him in the hospital, or even to kill him, they wouldn’t have found it difficult.

  Hauling himself to his feet, he winced as a pain shot through his ribs. He would go home and talk to Nadia and find out what had really happened before he did anything else. But then, Roy Chapman would pay.

  Chapter 31

  Wednesday 24th April

  I spent a strange night in the hospital. In the wall opposite my bed was a pane of glass covered in an opaque film; presumably it used to be a window, and then the ward was rearranged. There was another private room on the other side, and I could see the glow of the other patient’s bedside lamp through the glass, and a shadow crossing it whenever they moved around the room.

  I slept fitfully, dreaming about being chased by faceless men on bikes, and Singh telling me I had to set the hospital on fire to save Lukas. Twice during the night, nurses came to check my blood pressure and other vitals, which didn’t help. I was relieved when I heard the trolley of tea and coffee coming round, because I felt like it was an acceptable time to give up on the idea of sleeping and attempt to get out of bed.

  The moment visiting hours began, Anna was shown into my room and threw her arms around me. Little more than a year ago our positions had been reversed, when Anna had been the one in hospital with a head injury, and the significance of this wasn’t lost on me. Thankfully, I was in nowhere near as serious a condition as she’d been, but that probably didn’t make a difference to how much she had been worrying about me. I could see tears in her eyes as she pulled away from me, and I spent several minutes reassuring her that I was okay, and I’d only been kept in as a precaution.

  What the hell happened? she asked, sinking down into the chair next to my bed.

  I frowned. I thought Singh explained everything to you yesterday?

  She rolled her eyes. He only gave me the basics, said that it was better if you told me. What were you doing? Was it just a random mugging, or was it something else? I know you and Sasha have been digging into this case.

  Groaning, I laid my head back on my pillow. I really didn’t want to have to go through everything again, but I knew Anna wouldn’t let me relax until I answered her questions. I took her through what had happened, ignoring her every time she tried to interrupt, much to her annoyance.

  I need to call Sasha, I told Anna once I’d finished my story. She’ll be expecting me in work today. She had brought me a bag of things, including my phone charger, which I plugged in next to my bed.

  I can do that, she told me, snatching my phone from the bedside table and scrolling through to get Sasha’s number. I was going to protest, but I realised I might as well let Anna do this for me, so that she could feel like she’d helped. While she called Sasha, I dragged myself to the bathroom, my head throbbing as soon as I stood up. She had also brought me a change of clothes and a towel, so I stepped into the shower in the hope that hot water would help to relieve some aches and pains, but the pathetic trickle I managed to conjure up was only lukewarm.

  Better? Anna asked me when I emerged from the bathroom.

  I nodded, then winced at the movement. Yes, a little bit.

  Have you seen a doctor yet today? she asked, helping me back over to the bed.

  Not yet. The nurse said they’d probably be round late morning. Then they’ll decide if I need any scans. I scowled at the thought of having to stay in hospital any longer. I understood why Singh had brought me to A&E instead of taking me home like I’d asked, but I was still annoyed about it.

  The thought of Singh gave me a hollow feeling in the pit of my stomach. I’d never seen him as angry as he was last night, and the fact that it had been levelled at me made me feel sick. The one thing I didn’t tell Anna about was my stupid, impulsive moment where I had kissed Singh. I hoped that hadn’t contributed to his anger. I still felt absolutely mortified about it, and I was worried he would avoid me from now on. There was also a big hard lump of disappointment in my throat when I thought about it – I was realising more and more that I had feelings for Singh and the rejection hurt. I knew it had been the wrong time and place, but it had felt so right, and I was sure I hadn’t imagined him kissing me back for a moment before he pulled away.


  But then, I’d had a bump on the head, so maybe it was just wishful thinking. The last thing I needed right now was to fall out with him, after everything I’d been through recently. Should I call him and apologise? Or would he still be too angry to speak to me?

  Anna was watching me intently, and I wondered if she had an idea of what I was thinking.

  Is Rav coming back to see you today? she asked, and I could see in her eyes that there were dozens of other questions she wanted to ask, but I just shook my head.

  No. I left it at that, despite the disappointment on her face. What did Sasha say? I asked, trying to move the conversation away from Singh.

  She gave me a look, telling me she knew I was changing the subject and would be asking her questions soon enough. Well, obviously, she was very worried about you and wanted to make sure you’re okay. She said she’d come down to visit you.

  She doesn’t need to, I replied, but Anna made a gesture to show it was out of her hands now. I could call Sasha myself and tell her not to come, but it might be a good opportunity to tell her what I had seen Mariusz doing, and that my notebook had been taken from my car. I’d left out that last detail when I told Anna what had happened, just saying that my car had been rifled. I was starting to panic about the information in there and who might have got their hands on it. Someone must have realised that Sasha and I were getting close to the truth and wanted to find out how much we knew. But which of the potential suspects could have taken it?

  Where were you last night? I asked Anna, trying to steer the conversation away from me and why someone mugged me and ransacked my car. You’ve been out a lot recently.

  Her face coloured slightly, and I thought she was going to avoid answering, but then a small smile crept across her face.

  I was on a date, she told me.

  Ooh, tell me more, I replied, shifting slightly on the bed so I could see her better.

  He’s called Jonathan. She went on to describe his looks and personality, the few dates they’d been on and her excitement at meeting someone, and I was thrilled to see genuine happiness lighting her up from the inside.

  So what does he do? How did you meet?

  At this question, she looked at the floor, embarrassed.

  What? I asked. Oh God, he’s not your student, is he?

  No! Nothing like that. He’s … well, actually, he’s an interpreter.

  I slotted a couple of pieces of the puzzle together in my mind. He’s been your interpreter for your support group, hasn’t he? That’s why you don’t want to go any more, because you can’t date him while he’s interpreting for you.

  Anna blushed a deep scarlet and I laughed, which made her laugh too.

  You know you can just request a different interpreter?

  She shrugged. I know, but I meant what I said the other day. I don’t feel like I’m getting anything from the group now. And Jon is so supportive. He’s been there with me for every session, and it got to the stage where I felt like I was talking to him about everything, not the rest of the group. Does that make sense?

  I nodded. I think so. Well, as long as you’re happy.

  I am, I really am.

  I smiled, but still felt a little pang of jealousy that she’d found happiness just as I’d thrown my own love life under the bus.

  Do you want me to call Max? Anna asked gently, correctly interpreting the look on my face.

  No. I don’t want to confuse things. It would have been nice to have someone there for me the way that Singh was last night, and I knew if I hadn’t broken up with him, Max would have been pacing the corridor until he was allowed in to see me, but the fact remained that we weren’t together any more. If Anna called him, it would muddy the waters.

  He would want to know that you’re in hospital, she persisted. I know you’ve broken up, but he still cares about you.

  I know, but I don’t want to call him. I’ll be home soon, anyway. I looked up at the clock on the wall. Don’t you need to go to work?

  Yeah, probably, she replied. I moved my tutorials this morning, but I need to go into the department. Are you sure you’re going to be okay?

  I was about to reassure her when the door opened and Sasha walked in. She and Anna greeted each other, then my sister said her goodbyes as Sasha settled herself in the chair by my bed.

  Tell me everything, she said. And I mean everything.

  I could see her trying to keep her annoyance from showing as I told her about my plan to follow Mariusz, but once I explained his behaviour around the two houses I’d seen him looking at, her interest took precedence.

  So whoever mugged you knew exactly what they were looking for, she signed. I’m surprised your DS Singh didn’t give you some police protection.

  He’s not my anything, I told her, earning a pair of raised eyebrows from Sasha. I’m fine. I don’t need protecting. If they’d wanted to hurt me more they could have done. They wanted that notebook, and now they’ve got it.

  But why would someone want it?

  To see how much we know, I suppose. Someone must be worried that we’re getting close to the truth. I’d been thinking about this while I’d lain awake in the early hours of the morning, but I couldn’t pinpoint exactly what might have made someone scared enough to attack me. If we’d found out something that someone didn’t want us to know about, neither Sasha nor I had made the connection yet.

  How much can you remember of what was in the notebook?

  I screwed up my face and looked up at the ceiling, then shook my head. I don’t know. I think I can remember all of it, but I’m not completely confident.

  Tell me as much as you can remember, then, she said.

  For the next fifteen minutes we went over what we’d talked about over the last week, including the conversations we’d had with people like Lukas’s neighbour, Jill Adams, and Caroline.

  What are we missing? she asked, giving me a searching look, as if I was keeping something from her. Why did someone want that notebook so badly?

  I don’t know, I told her. I honestly don’t. Someone must have thought there was something in it that would incriminate them, or they wouldn’t have gone to all that trouble to get it.

  Could it have been Mariusz? she asked.

  I don’t think so. I was following him and he ran past me before it happened. I don’t see how he could have crept up behind me. As I told her this, something niggled at the back of my mind, but I couldn’t work out what it was. Had I seen someone, and now I couldn’t remember? Did I get a glimpse of the person rifling through my pockets for my keys before I lost consciousness?

  What do you think he was doing? Sasha was now sitting forward in the chair, her brows knitted in thought.

  Who, Mariusz? I have no idea. I was worried at first that he was breaking into those houses, but I couldn’t see any evidence that he’d taken anything, unless whatever it was was so small it fitted in the pocket of his jeans.

  Mariusz doesn’t strike me as the kind of kid who’d be breaking into houses, she said, shaking her head. Could it be something to do with Lukas, and Nadia’s death?

  I don’t see how, I replied.

  Can you remember where the houses were?

  I made a note of the addresses on my phone last night when I couldn’t sleep, I told her, pulling up the document and emailing it to her. Do you think they could be significant?

  Well, there must be some connection between them if Mariusz was at both houses last night. I’ll have a look for the addresses on our databases, see if anything pops up. I had a message from Lukas this morning, she continued. He’s moved into Paul’s mum’s old house. I think he wanted some privacy, after everything that’s happened, but I am worried about him being on his own.

  Where is the house? I asked, thinking it was important that we kept an eye on where he was. She pulled out her phone and brought the address up on the screen, showing it to me. I paused for a moment; I knew exactly where that road was. It was in the same area as Lukas’s house, and the two
other houses that had had fires.

  Nice for him that he’s back in the same area, I said, but Sasha looked sceptical.

  Quite a few people round there know him, and think that he killed Nadia, she pointed out. I don’t think they’ll be too happy to see him back. And of course now there’s been another fire, she said. I don’t want him to be blamed for that too. There’s obviously some connection between the gang hanging around outside these houses and the fires. But if they’re setting the fires, why are they doing it? And what does it have to do with Nadia?

  Maybe you should ask Lukas, I pointed out. He obviously knows more than he’s telling us.

  Why do you say that? she snapped.

  Because he kept avoiding our questions about who had been hanging around outside his house. I wasn’t going to let Sasha keep protecting Lukas when I knew there was more he could tell us. If he told us everything he knew, maybe we could make sense of this. If he’d actually spoken to the police to defend himself, they might be a lot further on.

  Sasha bristled at this. I thought you understood, Paige? I thought you knew what it was like for someone like Lukas to find himself in that position, badgered by the police until he was too scared to say anything in his own defence? Taken advantage of because of the communication barrier?

  I hadn’t seen any evidence of the police treating him like that, but I didn’t say as much. Sasha obviously had her own reasons for being so defensive, and I wondered if she also knew more than she was telling me.

  She shook her head. I think maybe you need to rest. Let me know if you’ll be back at work on Monday or if you need more time off.

  With that she stood up and walked out of the room, leaving me confused. What had I said? What was she hiding from me?

  Chapter 32

  ‘Well, Paige, I think you’ve been quite lucky,’ the doctor told me as she looked at my notes. ‘I don’t think we need a CT scan. The nurse will give you a leaflet with your discharge letter about the warning signs to look out for following concussion, but you’re fine to go home.’