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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

The baby’s eyes are brown, framed by long eyelashes. Full cheeks, a fuzz of black hair – and a complexion at least three shades darker than Robin’s.

Liv looks from the baby across to Robin. She still seems out of it, hazy on a variety of drugs and her own endorphins.

‘I’m sorry, Robin,’ she says.

He’s not sure what she’s apologising for. Making him think the baby was his, bringing him here out of the blue? But whatever it is, he doesn’t care. After all the chaos of the past week – the worry around Finn, the uncertainty with Jacob’s death, even the fragile state of Freya – he needed something good. A miracle, a new life. A future with promise and good intentions.

Some things do end well after all, he thinks.

52

Freya and Josh sit on one side of the table, Connor Vardy on the other. The duty solicitor sits by his side: a man about Freya’s age, tall and slim to the point of skinny, in a smart navy suit. Alex Reynolds – Freya’s met him before. He’s fair and measured; discreet, unlike some. He makes notes on a yellow legal pad.

‘My client would like to hear what you have to say,’ the solicitor begins. ‘Against my advice, I should add.’

Connor fidgets, picking at the corner of one of his nails, staring resolutely at the tabletop; a piece of skin is separated from Connor’s cuticle and dropped onto the shiny surface.

‘You’re free to leave at any time,’ the solicitor directs to Connor. ‘This is a voluntary interview.’

Connor nods.

‘Are you sure you don’t want a drink?’ Freya asks him. ‘Water? Coke?’

‘No, I’m fine, thank you,’ Connor mumbles.

They’ve signed the correct paperwork and they’re ready to begin. Josh leans back in his seat, waiting for Freya to start. This morning, she’s running the show.

‘Connor,’ Freya begins. He doesn’t look up. ‘We wanted to talk to you again about what happened the night of the storm.’

‘My client has told you already,’ Reynolds replies. Freya glares. I thought you were one of the nice ones, she thinks.

‘Yes, you did,’ she says, directing her response to Connor. ‘But we’ve found out some things since then that we wanted to get your views on.’

Freya opens the file in front of her and pulls out a photo. It’s a young man in army uniform, smartly posed against a formal backdrop. She turns it round and puts it in front of Connor.

‘This is Lance Corporal Duncan Thorpe,’ Freya says. Connor glances at the photo. ‘This was the man found dead in the freezer.’

Connor looks up again, and this time studies the photo properly. His jaw clenches, then his eyes slide away.