My hand went to the window to throw it open, but Lukas grabbed me.
No, don’t, he told me. The added oxygen could make the fire explode.
I had no idea how fire behaved or if that was even possible, but I let go of the window, instead waving to try and attract Singh’s attention. It took a moment or two, but he looked up, and before I knew it he was running towards the house.
‘No!’ I screamed. Why would he do something so stupid? There was no way he could reach us from the ground floor.
I don’t care what you say, I’m opening the window, I told Lukas, grabbing the sash and hauling it upwards. It was old and it stuck on the way up, but I put my full strength behind it and it groaned as it eventually slid upwards, a bit of the old window frame splintering as I did. I felt the rush of cool air and took a deep breath, and when there was no answering rush of flame behind me I called out to Singh.
‘Rav! You can’t get in. The fire’s in the front room.’
He looked up at me, over to the other officers, then back at me. ‘Is there anything in there that you can throw down?’
‘There’s a mattress, but there’s no way we can get it through this window.’ I looked back at the room. There was an old armchair, but the cushions weren’t big enough to provide any sort of platform for us to land on.
The street was filling up with people, as uniformed officers escorted neighbours out of their houses and along the street to wait at a safe distance. I could hear sirens in the distance, which told me there were fire engines on the way. A coughing fit overtook me and I doubled over, moving out of sight of the window.
‘Paige? Paige!’ I could hear the panic in Singh’s voice and I tried to hold up a hand to let him know I was okay, but I felt too dizzy. I tried to suppress the coughing, but that just made it worse, and in a moment I was on my knees. Lukas appeared beside me, trying to help me up to the window ledge so I could get some fresh air, but I felt like my limbs had been filled with lead.
Outside, I could hear Singh shouting my name, until the sound of the sirens drowned him out. I tried to move, but I was exhausted, and I curled up on the floor.
I have no idea how long I was lying there before I felt hands on my arms and legs, pulling me upwards and tipping me over something solid. As I drifted in and out of consciousness, I realised I was being held tightly over someone’s shoulder as they carried me out of the house. Cool air was all around me, and faces drifted in and out of my vision. There was a pressure on my hand that remained constant, and on impulse I squeezed back against the hand that was gripping mine.
A mask had been placed over my nose and mouth, and I felt myself coming round a little bit. The coughing had subsided slightly, and I blinked tears out of my eyes. From the bright lights above me, and the man dressed in green to my side, I realised I was in the back of an ambulance.
‘Where’s Lukas?’ I tried to say, but my tongue felt thick in my mouth, and the oxygen mask muffled my speech further. Moving it away from my face, I asked my question again, but the paramedic shushed me and replaced the mask.
I lay there for I don’t know how long – minutes, maybe longer – staring at the roof and wondering what had happened to both Lukas and Paul, before Singh climbed up into the back of the ambulance. He took my hand, and something about the warmth of it made me realise he was the one who had been holding my hand as I was carried out of the house. I smiled at him, but he just shook his head, seemingly unsure of what to say.
‘Is Lukas okay?’ I asked. My voice was a lot croakier than I expected, and pain seared my throat. I tried to swallow, but the dryness made me cough again. Singh moved out of the way as the paramedic checked me over, and it was only once he gave the okay that Rav answered my question.
‘As far as I know, yes. He’s in another ambulance, being checked over. It looks like you inhaled more smoke than he did.’
I nodded, knowing I’d breathed in plenty while I was trying to fight Paul off me in the kitchen.
‘Paul?’ I asked, but Singh shook his head.
‘We haven’t found him yet.’
I squeezed my eyes shut. If Paul Ilford got away because I hadn’t managed to stop him, I’d kick myself. I knew he would have set fire to the house and killed Lukas even if I hadn’t knocked on the door, so that wasn’t my fault, but I could have kept him occupied longer until the police arrived.
‘I’m sorry,’ I began, but he glared at me and shook his head. I wasn’t going to be deterred, so I continued. ‘I didn’t know he’d be here. I spoke to Forest earlier and told her about Nadia thinking there was something suspicious about the death of Paul’s mum. I wasn’t going to go anywhere near him, but when I got here to speak to Lukas, it was Paul who answered the door.’
There were tears in my eyes, and I could hear the pleading in my own voice. Singh squeezed my hand a bit tighter and gave me a tight smile.
‘It’s okay, Paige. Please, don’t worry about it.’
‘But …’
‘Don’t. You’re okay, and that’s what matters right now.’
I looked at him closely. ‘I keep screwing things up, but you’re still here.’
He laughed gently and stroked my face. ‘I was about to run into a burning building for you. I’m not great at talking about how I feel, but that should tell you something.’
Chapter 38
Friday 26th April
I had been discharged from hospital the previous night after being checked over by a doctor and given yet another list of signs to watch out for should my condition worsen. Singh had stayed with me the whole time, then taken me home and handed responsibility over to Anna, who had fussed constantly until I went to bed.
In the morning, my whole body ached as if I’d spent an hour in the ring in Worx gym with one of Roy Chapman’s regular customers. I couldn’t quite believe what had happened, and the idea that Paul was still out there somewhere, and knew where I lived, terrified me.
There was a knock on my bedroom door, and Anna came in with a cup of tea. She sat on the end of my bed and gave me a searching look.
How are you feeling?
Shit, I replied, truthfully.
You look it.
Thanks. I laughed, which set off a coughing fit.
Anna handed me a piece of paper. Rav left this last night.
It was a note asking me to come into the police station to give a statement this afternoon. I was glad he hadn’t expected me to drag myself there this morning – it was already gone ten and I didn’t feel like I had the energy to move yet.
He was very attentive last night, she commented lightly, giving me a sly look.
Don’t, I signed with a firm shake of my head that made me wince. Rav and I hadn’t had the opportunity to talk much, but I was looking forward to sitting down with him sometime soon and letting him know my real feelings as well as exploring his. Still, I didn’t want to talk to Anna about it just yet; she didn’t even know about the kiss.
Anna shrugged, but I knew from her expression that I hadn’t heard the last of it.
So, tell me everything, she said, crossing her legs and settling herself at the foot of my bed.
Now the police knew what had happened, and would have enough evidence against Paul when it was coupled with my statement and Lukas’s, I didn’t see any harm in telling Anna. I was glad to be using sign language, because of the raging pain in my throat, and I kept having to stop to take sips of water to try and ease it.
What about the fires? she asked, once I’d finished explaining about Paul, and why he killed Nadia.
Singh told me about that while we were waiting at the hospital, I told her. I was right; Mariusz has confessed to setting the fires. He got involved with the gang at a time when he was struggling emotionally at school and at home, making him an easy target for grooming, but once he understood what they were doing he wanted to get out again. When he realised they’d been dealing from these houses, including his dad’s house, he tried to think up a way to stop them. A
pparently one of the houses they’d used in the past had accidentally caught fire and the gang moved on immediately to avoid being caught. The tenant was moved to a different area, so was no longer at risk from the gang. Mariusz panicked and took it to the extreme, thinking another fire was the only way to stop the gang using his dad’s house. He was terrified the gang would find out it was him, so he set fire to another couple of houses to make it look like someone was targeting the drug dealer.
Couldn’t he have reported them to the police? she asked.
I think he was too scared of the main dealer. That’s one of the reasons he set fire to his dad’s house first – he knew they wouldn’t suspect him. Mariusz was recruited by the dealer and the other lads; he never realised that his mum’s boss was in charge of it all. Neither did Lukas – he knew the gang had targeted other people in the area, but Nadia convinced him they were connected to Roy, and begged him to keep quiet about it in case the gang did something worse. She knew Mariusz was involved, so she wanted to protect him while she decided what to do about Paul.
And Lukas just believed that? she asked, incredulous.
I know, I agreed. I can’t believe he didn’t push any further either, but I think he never had a reason to doubt Nadia, and he wasn’t surprised by the idea that Roy had gang contacts.
Anna rolled her eyes and I nodded.
So Mariusz set the other fires to try and stop the gang?
That’s what he said. At first he was terrified and thought he’d killed Nadia; he’d thought the house was empty. She’d known he was mixed up with the gang and had tried to talk to him about it; he said she seemed to be the only one who noticed when he was feeling low and she always did her best to look out for him. The idea that he might have killed her left him absolutely devastated.
After that, he always checked that there was nobody in, so they didn’t get hurt, and they were all council properties, so he thought the tenants would get somewhere else to live straight away. I shrugged. He’s only sixteen, and he’s not a bad kid. Paul got one of the other kids to tempt him in, and luckily for them they caught him at a time when he was feeling particularly vulnerable. I shook my head. I think he nearly told me and Sasha about it all, when he came to see her a week ago, but in the end he was too scared to say anything. Sasha brushed it off, and now I know about the affair I think she was probably worried that Mariusz might have seen her meeting his dad, and thought she had something to do with Nadia’s murder.
Poor kid. What’s going to happen to him?
I shook my head. Singh wasn’t sure. Hopefully nothing too bad, because he did come and hand himself in last night. When he found out his dad had nearly died in another fire he wanted to make sure the police knew he wasn’t responsible for that one.
She nodded, then looked at her watch. Come on, you, let’s get you in the shower and down to the police station. Then once you’ve given your statement we can choose some trashy films and stay on the sofa until Monday.
Aren’t you at work today?
No, I took the day off, compassionate leave. I figured you needed me more today.
I gave her a hug, then went off to try and wash some of the smoke out of my hair. There was a pleasant jittery feeling running through the whole of my body at the thought of seeing Rav, and I hummed to myself while I was in the shower. By the time I was finished, I’d made my mind up: it was time to seize the day, and once I’d given my statement I was going to ask him out for a drink.
Standing outside the police station, I realised there was still one question I didn’t have the answer to, and I wouldn’t feel like this was all over until I did. Before I went inside to give my statement, I made a call.
Hello? Lukas looked puzzled when he answered.
Hi, Lukas. Do you have a couple of minutes to talk?
He nodded. You saved my life. I can always give you a few minutes.
I thought back to the night Nadia had been killed, and our conversation in the hospital. Do you remember telling me that you knew who was responsible for Nadia’s death?
I do. I was an idiot.
Did you know what Paul was up to? Had Nadia told you about any of it, about his mother, or the drug dealing?
Lukas shook his head hurriedly. No, no, Paige, you must believe me. I didn’t know about any of that, or I would have told the police. He hung his head. I should have talked to them. Maybe they would have found out about Paul sooner.
You couldn’t have saved Nadia, I told him gently. She must have thought she could deal with Paul without getting you involved.
I know, but … He shrugged. Anyway, it doesn’t matter now.
I paused for a moment, wondering if I should leave it, but I wanted to know. It matters to me, I told him. Who did you think had killed her?
He grimaced before he replied. I thought it was Roy. He’d already threatened me once that evening, when his thugs beat me up outside the pub, and then I got that text. I knew it was from him, but I assumed it referred to Nadia, not just the beating. But after a while, I began to wonder if it might have been Sasha. She is such a passionate woman, I believe there are a lot of things she would do to get what she wants. When she kept trying to see me I wondered if she was making sure I hadn’t said anything to implicate her. I knew it was safest if I didn’t say anything, and hoped to God that the police found out the truth.
I nodded slowly. It made sense, and his reasons for not talking were ones I’d suggested myself – at first he was scared of Roy, but then when he started to suspect Sasha he stayed silent in order to protect her.
Thanks, Lukas. I appreciate you being honest with me.
He nodded. Now I need to go and spend some time with my son, he told me, so I said goodbye and hung up, then took a deep breath before going in to give my statement.
Something about the atmosphere in the police station felt different as I walked in. But it was as busy as ever, and as I was led through to an interview room there was the usual hustle and bustle of people coming and going that I was used to. I couldn’t put my finger on what it was that might have changed.
I sat in the room and waited for about fifteen minutes. Rav hadn’t specified a time to come in, so I didn’t mind waiting until he was free. I used the time trying to get all the details straight in my head, knowing I would have to include as much information as possible.
The door opened and I felt a wave of disappointment when DI Forest walked in, alone.
‘Good afternoon, Paige,’ she said with a smile, which instantly threw me. I was so used to Forest scowling at me that I wondered what had happened to effect this change. ‘Thank you for coming in. I’d like to take your statement about the events of yesterday, if that’s okay?’
I agreed, but asked a question first.
‘What about Paul?’
‘Paul Ilford was arrested in the early hours of this morning. He was driving through Norfolk, and the automated number plate recognition cameras picked him up. I don’t think he was expecting us to be looking for him quite so soon – he was going to stay in a cottage near Cromer for a while, until things had died down.’
‘Did he realise that Lukas and I had survived?’
‘I don’t think so.’
I shuddered at the arrogance of the man, then Forest shuffled impatiently, and I knew she wanted to begin. We went through everything, from my conversation with the carer (whom Forest had managed to track down and take a statement from) to my decision to go into the house when I knew Paul Ilford was there. That was a difficult one to justify, because I couldn’t quite explain why I’d done it. I had been fairly confident that he’d murdered Nadia and probably his mother, but it hadn’t crossed my mind that he’d had similar plans for Lukas.
Once I’d finished describing my fight with Paul in the kitchen, finding Lukas, and our attempted escape, Forest sat back and turned off the tape recorder.
‘Can I ask something?’
The DI nodded.
‘Why did Paul kill his mother? That seems t
o have been the catalyst for this whole thing.’
Forest wrinkled her nose, and I wondered if she was going to refuse to reply, but she shuffled a couple of papers on the table then looked back at me. ‘Mrs Ilford had given Paul the money he needed to start his business, over twenty years ago, and in return he’d given her a large share of it. This was back in the days when it was a legitimate care agency, without any other, illegal streams of income. Anyway, she still owned that part share and there was no legal way of Paul getting it back. When she died, it all reverted to him.’
Even though this was the man whom I had seen set a house on fire with two people inside it, I was stunned. ‘Couldn’t he have just waited for her to die naturally?’
‘She was seventy-one, and in pretty good physical health, even if her memory was declining. The only reason he had a carer going in was to save himself from having to visit her. She might have lived for another fifteen or twenty years, and that was hindering the growth of the illegal branch of his business.’
I blew air out of my cheeks, trying to take it all in. At least I knew I was safe now, and so was Mariusz. I didn’t know what would happen to the gang he’d been part of, but I knew Lukas would be keeping a much closer eye on his son now, and would make sure he knew what was happening in Mariusz’s life.
Forest told me we’d finished, so I picked up my bag and stood up to leave.
‘Is DS Singh around?’ I asked, trying to keep my voice casual. She turned to me with a nasty smile.
‘I’m sure he is, somewhere. He has a disciplinary meeting to attend, after all.’
I felt a swooping sensation, as if someone had just tilted the room. ‘What do you mean?’
‘Oh, didn’t I mention? He’s now on his final warning, for giving information about an ongoing inquiry to a civilian. Any other indiscretions and he’ll be suspended.’ With that she gave me one last smug look then swept out of the room.
The Silent Suspect Page 28