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Back Out of the Ashes Save as PDF
Chapters (95)
  1. Cover
  2. PRAISE
  3. About the Author
  4. Dedication
  5. FRIDAY
  6. Rosa, 2 p.m.
  7. Maya, 2.30 p.m.
  8. Maya, 3.30 p.m.
  9. Maya, 3.45 p.m.
  10. Dan, 3.45 p.m.
  11. Maya, 4 p.m.
  12. Maya, 4.30 p.m.
  13. Maya, 5.30 p.m.
  14. Maya, 6 p.m.
  15. Maya, 6.15 p.m.
  16. 6.30 p.m.
  17. Maya, 7.30 p.m.
  18. Maya, 7.45 p.m.
  19. Brick Lane, 1984 – Maya
  20. SATURDAY
  21. Maya, 7 a.m.
  22. Maya, 8.30 a.m.
  23. Maya, 8.45 a.m.
  24. Maya, 9.15 a.m.
  25. Maya, 10 a.m.
  26. 10.30 a.m.
  27. Dan, 11 a.m.
  28. Maya, midday
  29. Maya, 12.30 p.m.
  30. Maya, 1 p.m.
  31. Maya, 1.30 p.m.
  32. Dan, 2.30 p.m.
  33. Dan, 3 p.m.
  34. Maya, 3.30 p.m.
  35. Maya, 4.30 p.m.
  36. Maya, 5.30 p.m.
  37. Dan, 6 p.m.
  38. Maya, 6.45 p.m.
  39. Maya, 7.30 p.m.
  40. Maya, 8.30 p.m.
  41. Dan, 9.30 p.m.
  42. Maya, 10 p.m.
  43. Maya, 10.45 p.m.
  44. 11.30 p.m.
  45. Maya, 11.30 p.m.
  46. Maya, midnight
  47. SUNDAY
  48. Rosa, 7 a.m.
  49. Brick Lane, 1984 – Maya
  50. Maya, 8.30 a.m.
  51. 9 a.m.
  52. Maya, 9.30 a.m.
  53. Maya, 11 a.m.
  54. Dan, 12.30 p.m.
  55. Maya, 12.30 p.m.
  56. Dan, 2.30 p.m.
  57. Maya, 5 p.m.
  58. Maya, 9 p.m.
  59. Feldman’s Newsagent’s, Brick Lane, 1989 – Maya
  60. MONDAY
  61. 8 a.m.
  62. Maya, 8.30 a.m.
  63. Maya, 9 a.m.
  64. Dan, 10.30 a.m.
  65. Maya, 10.30 a.m.
  66. Dan, 11.15 a.m.
  67. Maya, 11.15 a.m.
  68. Maya, midday
  69. Maya, 1 p.m.
  70. Dan, 1.55 p.m.
  71. 2 p.m.
  72. Maya, 3 p.m.
  73. Maya, 4 p.m.
  74. Maya, 6 p.m.
  75. Maya, 7 p.m.
  76. Maya, 8 p.m.
  77. Maya, 8.45 p.m.
  78. Maya, 10 p.m.
  79. Maya, 10.30 p.m.
  80. TUESDAY
  81. Dan, 1 a.m.
  82. Maya, 7.30 a.m.
  83. Maya, 9 a.m.
  84. Maya, 10.30 a.m.
  85. Maya, 11.30 a.m.
  86. Maya, 12.30 p.m.
  87. Maya, 2.30 p.m.
  88. Maya, 4 p.m.
  89. Maya, 5 p.m.
  90. WEDNESDAY
  91. Maya, 8 a.m.
  92. Maya, 9 a.m.
  93. Maya, 10 a.m.
  94. Acknowledgements
  95. About the Publisher

I was trying to put myself in her shoes. It was easy to say that you wouldn’t put up with a cheating partner but until you were in the situation, it was speculation. What did you do if you were madly in love with that person? Or were financially dependent on them? Indra struck me as a resourceful woman. Her sister had got a job in Tomasz’ club, and I was sure that Indra could have done something similar if she had chosen to leave Simas. ‘Have you thought about what you will do now?’

She shook her head. ‘Wait a while. Start again.’ She stared into space. ‘I won’t go back to Lithuania. Marta needs me and, to be honest, I need her right now.’

A few of the little things that Indra had said about Marta were niggling at the back of my mind. I was aware that they were both each other’s alibis. Neither of them was above suspicion and both had motives for killing Simas and his mistress. I’d discuss it with the team. We needed to corroborate their stories – or dismiss them. What struck me was that, underneath the bravery of Indra’s words, I sensed bitterness, and not unfairly. She was a survivor, I felt sure of that but, having had a miscarriage, she was vulnerable and needed to get her strength back. Against all the odds, Indra’s story was starting to stack up. Then, something occurred to me. ‘Did Simas know about the baby?’

Indra looked at me, blinking while she gathered her thoughts. ‘No.’ She paused. ‘I told you; he didn’t want children. I got pregnant by accident and I planned to tell him when I passed the first three months.’

‘I need to ask you something a bit delicate. Was it Simas’ baby?’

‘Žinoma.’ She looked confused. ‘Ah. Artem’s been telling you I’m a whore?’ She rolled her eyes and looked to the heavens. ‘Jėzus Kristus.’

Our conversation was interrupted by the sound of voices and the front door closing. Giggles and squeals tinkled down the hall. Indra’s sister was home.

And she wasn’t alone.

Maya, 10.45 p.m.

Maya, 10.45 p.m.

I left Indra with my thoughts spiralling. It had been a long, exhausting day and part of me wanted to go home and collapse into bed, but my mind wouldn’t settle until I’d told Dan about Simas’ mistress, and found out whether we’d received news on Ali.