BooksBarbecue
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

‘You believed Jonathan was beating her, Kal,’ Robin says slowly. ‘But she was lying to you the whole time.’

Kal shakes his head again, his mouth open. ‘I thought… oh god…’ His hands fly to his mouth.

‘What happened on that Monday when Jonathan died?’ Robin asks. He watches as Kal shuts his eyes tight. ‘How did you kill him?’

‘I didn’t kill him,’ Kal repeats. He starts to cry, shaking his head. ‘I didn’t.’

‘Then what happened?’ Robin asks quietly.

‘I didn’t,’ Kal says. ‘He was already dead.’

60

Kal can’t think. He leans forward over the table, pushing his fingers into his eyes so hard he sees colours. He needs to make it stop. The constant thoughts, the guilt, the fear. And now… So Amy had been…?

Kal feels like he might vomit. The sandwich he ate earlier sits in his stomach, hard as rock. He takes a sip from the cup of water; saliva fills his mouth. But he can’t be sick, not here, not now.

‘I didn’t,’ he repeats. ‘He was already dead.’

Kal remembers the frantic call from Amy that Monday. ‘He’s dead,’ she was screaming. ‘He’s dead. You have to help me.’

Kal tried to persuade her to come and see him, but she wouldn’t. She just said, ‘You have to help me. We have to make it look like an accident.’

‘But how?’ he replied. And she explained.

He drove to the Miller house, picked up Jonathan’s car, keys left in the ignition, and took it to the hotel. He used the key card left in the glovebox to let himself in, then went to the room. Room 302.

And there he was. Jonathan was lying on the bed. Just laid out, in his shirt and suit. Not a mark on him except for the bruises circling his neck. And the belt, still looped tightly round.

Amy was clear with her instructions.

‘Check into the room next door,’ she said, ‘303. I’ve reserved it in Jonathan’s name. Wear gloves. Move the body.’

Kal stripped him naked, left his clothes on the chair. Then put the belt back into the bruises, the ridges round his neck, and pulled up. Jonathan wasn’t light, the angle difficult. But eventually the belt held, and Jonathan stayed. Hung from the door. Like a piece of meat.

All the time he told himself: he’s not your best friend. He’s not the guy you thought you knew. He’s a wife beater. A coward. Amy was only defending herself. She would be dead, if she hadn’t killed him.

But part of him couldn’t comprehend what was going on. What he was doing.

He pressed Jonathan’s hand against the page, then left the porn open on the side. He pulled the door shut. And he left, running out of the hotel, leaving Jonathan’s car behind.