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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

‘I don’t know. I mean, I can’t stay like this forever. Jonathan’s dead. I have to move on.’

‘Move on when you’re ready, Freya,’ Robin says softly.

‘I know.’ She takes a bite of a chip. ‘But he is fit.’

‘Sure. If you like your men tall and boring.’

‘With piercing blue eyes.’

Robin turns his gaze skywards. ‘Jeez. Just shag him already!’ he exclaims, and Freya laughs.

They finish eating in silence. Robin considers Freya’s news. So, she might go out with Josh Smith. The thought of this makes him uneasy. But why? He feels unsteady, caught off balance.

But before he can analyse this further, he hears his name bellowed across the pub.

‘Robin Matthew Butler!’

The room hushes. Robin recognises the tone. Harsh, angry. Heard far too many times throughout his teenage years. His body recoils with familiar shame.

He turns slowly. Josie is standing in the middle of the pub, hands on hips, face like thunder. Sandra is behind her.

‘Robin Butler,’ Josie repeats. ‘What the hell have you been doing?’

40

Robin feels like he’s twelve again. Except this is much worse. There are no chores as punishment, no withdrawal of the television or permission to go to football. Only Josie and Sandra’s furious stares, and a pointed finger directing both of them out of the pub. Robin and Freya get up, leaving half-finished drinks.

Out in the car park, Josie lets loose.

‘What are you doing, Robin? Going to the library, digging around in things that don’t concern you?’ Robin stays mute in the face of Josie’s fury. ‘Ann called me. Ann French?’ Robin glances to Freya as if to say, I told you so. ‘She says you’re digging into Jacob Fraser’s death. When I said not to! Why would you do that, Robin?’

‘I thought it would help Finn,’ he tries meekly.

‘I told you to stay out of it. Why didn’t you listen to me? And Sandra says you’ve been in my house!’

He opens his mouth and closes it again. He looks at the disappointed faces of the two women who thought of him as family. Nothing is going to make this better.

‘We’re not going to tell anyone,’ Freya says next to him. ‘That Finn was depressed.’

Josie turns to Freya. ‘Bloody right, you’re not. It all happened when Finn was a kid. It doesn’t matter.’

Robin doesn’t like them taking out their anger on her. ‘So why is Finn saying what happened to Jacob was his fault?’ he directs back at them.

‘Because he’s ill, Robin! He’s sick,’ Josie covers her face with her hands, and Sandra puts a protective arm round her.

‘It was nothing to do with you, Robin,’ Sandra says, as she encourages Josie away. ‘Go home. Leave it be.’

He watches them walk slowly to their car, heads bent, Josie’s shoulders shaking with emotion.