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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

Butler pulls the man to the side of the police reception, but Freya can still hear their conversation.

‘You could get the hint and leave me alone, Liam.’

‘It’s this week.’

‘I know it’s this week,’ Butler almost shouts. Then he catches himself and growls, more quietly, ‘So what? You going to throw a party?’

The man recoils, hurt clear on his face. ‘I was going to visit her grave, Robin. Their graves. And I wanted to know if you would join me. But it’s clear how you feel.’ The man turns, his shoulders hunched. ‘I’ll leave you alone from now on, Robin. Don’t worry.’

He walks out of the reception, the double doors slamming behind him. The room is quiet, conversation stilled to an awkward hush.

Butler turns and walks quickly past Freya without a word. If Freya didn’t know better about her immovable boss, she would think from the look on his face that he was about to cry.

20

When Freya gets back to the incident room, Butler is nowhere to be seen. She wonders about the visitor, who he was talking about. She’s heard the whispers, some tragedy in his past. Apparently he was nicer before. Sorry you’re stuck with him, her colleagues said.

But she’s glad of the space after the interview with Amy Miller. It was difficult, to be so close to the woman and not spit in her face. Not shout: what did you do to him? How did you kill him?

Because she knows it was her.

The weekend was a struggle. Endless hours with nothing to do. Friends called, but Freya shut herself away. None of them know of her relationship with Jon.

When they interviewed Kal, Freya wasn’t worried – Kal doesn’t know about the affair. Nobody does. Jon had been insistent – he didn’t want Amy finding out or, more specifically, knowing it was her. He’d been so adamant and she hadn’t asked more, just gone along with what he’d said, not wanting to fess up anyway to the shame of her affair with a married man. She’d always felt reticent with her friends; most of them were married, and she’d known they’d disapprove. So none of them now would understand why she was such a wreck. None knew just how much in love she’d been.

But she spoke to her mum, bawling down the phone with snotty tears, until her mum threatened to drive up from Salisbury at that precise moment. ‘No, I’m fine, don’t come,’ she said, sniffing loudly, not wanting her mother to suffocate her with her fuss. ‘I’m fine. I just miss him, that’s all.’

That’s all. Master of the understatement.