BooksBarbecue
Back Found Save as PDF
Chapters (62)
  1. Title
  2. Copyright
  3. Contents
  4. About the Author
  5. About the Book
  6. Dedication
  7. Your Worst Nightmare
  8. ONE
  9. TWO
  10. THREE
  11. FOUR
  12. FIVE
  13. SIX
  14. SEVEN
  15. EIGHT
  16. NINE
  17. The Answer to All Your Prayers
  18. TEN
  19. ELEVEN
  20. TWELVE
  21. THIRTEEN
  22. FOURTEEN
  23. FIFTEEN
  24. SIXTEEN
  25. SEVENTEEN
  26. EIGHTEEN
  27. NINETEEN
  28. TWENTY
  29. TWENTY-ONE
  30. TWENTY-TWO
  31. TWENTY-THREE
  32. TWENTY-FOUR
  33. TWENTY-FIVE
  34. TWENTY-SIX
  35. TWENTY-SEVEN
  36. TWENTY-EIGHT
  37. TWENTY-NINE
  38. THIRTY
  39. THIRTY-ONE
  40. Somebody Else’s Child
  41. THIRTY-TWO
  42. THIRTY-THREE
  43. THIRTY-FOUR
  44. THIRTY-FIVE
  45. THIRTY-SIX
  46. THIRTY-SEVEN
  47. THIRTY-EIGHT
  48. THIRTY-NINE
  49. FORTY
  50. FORTY-ONE
  51. FORTY-TWO
  52. FORTY-THREE
  53. FORTY-FOUR
  54. FORTY-FIVE
  55. FORTY-SIX
  56. FORTY-SEVEN
  57. FORTY-EIGHT
  58. FORTY-NINE
  59. Sunlight on Water
  60. July
  61. September
  62. Acknowledgements

‘Oh yeah, I get that. I do remember them. One of them was looking at Sammy here.’ He holds up his right hand, and moves his thumb and forefinger to make the snake’s jaw move. ‘I get a lot of comments about old Sammy. My youngest called him that. I was thinking Satan or Terminator, something really badass, but she made her choice and that was that. He looks scary but he’s harmless, a bit like me. I’m happy to give a statement or whatever, though I don’t know if it’ll help. I just saw them in the shop, that’s all.’

‘We’d appreciate a statement, thank you,’ says Naylor. ‘If you’ve got time, DC Dallabrida can take it now.’

‘Fine by me,’ says Bryant. ‘I watched the reconstruction thing on telly last night, by the way. Gave me a funny feeling to see someone who looked so much like me. But I got to tell you, you missed something out. Well, I say you missed it out. Maybe you did it on purpose. You know what you’re doing, don’t you? Maybe you didn’t think it was important.’

Naylor and Dallabrida stare at him.

‘You didn’t show the van outside the shop, the one making the delivery round the back.’

When Hagen makes his return visit to the newsagent’s, Dallabrida goes along for the ride.

After the morning rush and not yet lunchtime, the shop is quiet. Mr Jadoon is behind the counter, reading a copy of the Mail. When he sees Hagen he folds up the newspaper, but doesn’t manage a welcoming smile.

‘Did you see yourself on TV?’ asks Hagen. ‘They did a good job, don’t you think?’

‘My wife and I watched it, yes,’ says Jadoon. ‘I wasn’t featured, only the shop.’

‘Might be good for business,’ says Dallabrida. He picks up a Boost bar, puts it down again and pats his stomach. ‘Better not, eh? I have to watch my figure. Got to keep the ladies happy.’

‘Can I help you with something?’ asks Jadoon. ‘I gave my statement as you asked. I don’t have anything else to say.’

‘It’s about your statement we’re here,’ says Hagen.

‘What about it?’

An elderly man pushes through the shop door, and begins to read the front pages on the newsstand.

‘We can do this in private, if you’d like,’ says Hagen.

The elderly man picks up a copy of the Guardian and crosses to the counter to pay. He asks for twenty Sterling Superkings, and Jadoon slides open the shutter hiding his stock of cigarettes. He hands over the silver and red packet, takes payment and gives change.

‘Thanks, mate,’ he says, as the old man leaves.

‘The thing is,’ says Hagen, ‘when you gave your statement, we think there may have been an omission.’