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

She sinks to the floor, her knees up to her chest, her arms over her head. And she cries. She sobs until her body is cold and shaking, all her emotion spent.

She turns now to DCI Baker. He’s looking at her expectantly.

‘Is there anything else I should know, DC West?’ he asks again.

‘No, guv,’ she replies. ‘Nothing at all.’

74

After Amy Miller’s house, after Robin drops Freya home, he only has one thing on his mind.

He drives a well-trodden route, away from the city centre, out of town to where the nicer houses are. Where people go for the better schools, with parks and green spaces where children can play. Where Georgia lived with Alex and James. And Liam.

He stands outside the familiar door. Lights are on; he hears a distant sound of a television coming from inside. He rings the bell.

The hallway light comes on, and the door opens. At first his brother-in-law’s expression is one of confusion, turning to disbelief when he gets a better look at Robin.

‘Rob, what…?’ He opens the door wide and ushers Robin inside.

‘I’m sorry to drop by unannounced, it’s just…’ Robin doesn’t know how to finish the sentence. He needs to see family. He needs unconditional acceptance, and Liam is the only person he has now.

‘It’s fine, it’s fine. What happened to you?’

Robin knows he must look a state. He’s tired and sweaty, a black bin liner clutched in his hand. His head thrums with pain, his eye and stomach still ache from where he was punched. And he’s just left someone drugged and unconscious in their living room.

‘Let’s just say it’s been a long week,’ Robin mutters. ‘Listen, I need a favour.’

‘Anything,’ Liam replies.

‘I need to burn something in your firepit, no questions asked.’

Liam’s mouth opens and closes again. Then he points towards his back garden.

Robin takes the bin liner and carries it outside, through Liam’s garden to the back. They used to have bonfires out here, years ago. Letting off fireworks, watching them arc in the night sky, the boys’ mouths gaping, laughing in joy as the bright colours exploded above them.

Now it’s just Robin. He glances back and he can see Liam watching him out of the kitchen window. He places the bin liner in the big metal firepit, then goes into the shed for the lighter fluid and matches.