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Back Last Place You Look Save as PDF
Chapters (85)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. Prologue
  4. Part 1
  5. 1
  6. 2
  7. 3
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. 7
  12. 8
  13. 9
  14. 10
  15. 11
  16. 12
  17. 13
  18. 14
  19. 15
  20. 16
  21. 17
  22. Part 2
  23. 18
  24. 19
  25. 20
  26. 21
  27. 22
  28. 23
  29. 24
  30. 25
  31. 26
  32. 27
  33. 28
  34. 29
  35. 30
  36. 31
  37. 32
  38. 33
  39. 34
  40. 35
  41. 36
  42. 37
  43. 38
  44. 39
  45. 40
  46. 41
  47. 42
  48. 43
  49. 44
  50. 45
  51. 46
  52. 47
  53. 48
  54. Part 3
  55. 49
  56. 50
  57. 51
  58. 52
  59. 53
  60. 54
  61. 55
  62. 56
  63. 57
  64. 58
  65. 59
  66. 60
  67. 61
  68. 62
  69. 63
  70. 64
  71. 65
  72. 66
  73. 67
  74. 68
  75. 69
  76. 70
  77. 71
  78. 72
  79. 73
  80. 74
  81. Epilogue
  82. Acknowledgements
  83. Canelo Crime
  84. About the Author
  85. Also by Louisa Scarr

‘Anything that you do say may be given in evidence. Do you understand?’ the woman finishes.

‘I didn’t kill him,’ Kal says. It’s the first time he’s spoken in days, and the words feel rough on his throat. ‘I didn’t kill him.’

59

Freya’s ready. Robin can feel her fidget beside him as the two of them sit opposite Khalid Riaz in the interview room. He’s wearing a police-issue grey tracksuit, the blue blanket draped over his slumped shoulders.

Robin was shocked when they turned up at his door this morning. He’d been expecting Kal to lawyer up immediately, to confront them with arrogance and cries of discrimination and unfair treatment. But the man they arrested was broken.

He was wearing dirty boxer shorts and a T-shirt. With some persuasion they managed to get him dressed, shoes on his feet, and a coat round his bony shoulders. He looked like he hadn’t eaten in days.

Apart from his first words when they arrested him, he was silent the whole way in. He gave the bare minimum as he was booked into custody. The transformation to this husk of a man is so absolute that Robin asked him to be checked over by a doctor before they interviewed him.

But the doctor came and went, and Kal was given a sandwich and a bottle of water. So here they are.

Robin was reluctant to allow Freya into the interview room, but she insisted, on the proviso she stays quiet. They have a bulky file in front of them, packed out with spare paper from the photocopier to make it look like they have more on him than they do.

‘Kal,’ Robin begins, gently. The video is rolling, the warnings have been issued. ‘Do you know why you’re here?’

Kal stays staring at the table. He nods slowly.

‘We know why you did it, Kal,’ Robin says.

Kal looks up quickly. He meets Robin’s gaze for a moment, then drops it back to the table.

‘We know what your father used to do to your mum.’

This time Kal’s head lifts, and he stares at Robin as he pulls photos out from the beige file in front of him. First, the photo of the woman. Face bloodied, nose broken.

‘We understand, Kal,’ Robin says.

A look crosses Kal’s face. ‘You understand?’ he says angrily.

Robin waits.

‘Your dad used to hit your mum, did he?’ Kal hisses. ‘You used to watch as your father beat your mother senseless, as he dragged her round by her hair, as he threw her down the stairs?’ The man’s features contort with anger. ‘You don’t know shit.’