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Back Under a Dark Cloud Save as PDF
Chapters (77)
  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. 18
  23. 19
  24. 20
  25. Part 2
  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. Part 3
  48. 42
  49. 43
  50. 44
  51. 45
  52. 46
  53. 47
  54. 48
  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. Acknowledgements
  74. Next in Series
  75. Canelo Crime
  76. About the Author
  77. Also by Louisa Scarr

It’s up to her now. Out of his hands.

But the thought doesn’t provide the relief he was expecting. If anything, the worry is worse.

30

‘Ready?’

Freya heaves a large suitcase into the boot of Robin’s Volvo, then nods. Robin looks at it dubiously.

‘You know we’re only going for a few nights, right?’

Freya points to Robin’s tiny holdall. ‘Unlike you, I’m not planning on wearing the same T-shirt three days straight.’

‘I don’t know what you mean.’

They get into the car and set off on the journey. It feels strange going with Robin down to where he grew up – but nice. She can relax, knowing he’s in charge.

They listen to Radio 2 as the interminable roundabouts of the A31 make way for endless rolling green hills, bordered by high hedges. As they go, Robin explains all the events of the past few days.

‘So Finn said it was his fault?’ Freya repeats. ‘That this boy died?’

‘Yes. But Josie’s adamant it was an accident. And that Finn barely knew him.’ Robin pauses to negotiate a junction. ‘The more I think about it, though, the odder it seems. It’s the only time in Finn’s history where things were a little…’ He stops, looking for the right word. ‘Off-kilter. Apart from this one,’ he adds, grimly.

‘And you can’t find anything on the internet?’

‘It was a long time ago. The newspapers are vague. And the online court registry doesn’t go back that far.’

‘To the days when you wrote on slates with chalk and only had a skipping rope to play with?’

‘Fuck off.’ Robin takes his eyes away from the road for a second and smiles. ‘I phoned the library. They said all the old coroner court records are on microfiche. We’ll have to go down there.’

‘How old-school.’ She looks out of the window for a second. A huge wall dominates their left-hand side and they pass a statue of a grand stag, looking out majestically across the landscape. She feels like she can breathe again. Last night, for the first time in what seems like forever, she slept a full six hours. More than she’d got in months.

‘When was the last time you went home, Robin?’

‘It’s been a while.’ He taps his finger to the song on the radio. ‘Nobody’s down there any more – only Josie and Sandra. And I’ve not been in a hurry to relive the memories.’

‘Why did you move away?’

‘University. Georgia went to Bournemouth Uni, so when it came to deciding where to go, I did the same.’ He glances back to Freya with a rueful smile. ‘My eighteen-year-old self wouldn’t admit it, but I missed her. And Finn was going to Reading, so it seemed like a good fit.’