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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

‘If you don’t mind,’ Freya says softly, ‘I’d like to tell you a little bit about him.’ She doesn’t need her notes; she knows it off by heart. After she finished researching Connor and his family, she moved back to Duncan Thorpe. And she tells him everything she found out.

‘Duncan was born in 1966, so he was just fifty-five when he died. He joined the army at eighteen and served until 1995, when he was involved in a dispute in a pub. Someone died and Duncan went to prison, where he stayed until 2006. Unfortunately, when he got out, he found it hard to hold down a job. He went back inside for a few years, and in 2017 he found himself homeless. Then, last Wednesday, your friend Barry found him dead in the freezer.’

‘Why are you telling me this?’ Connor says. ‘I don’t know how he got there.’

‘A victim’s past is irrelevant here, DC West,’ the solicitor adds.

Freya takes a sip from the glass of water in front of her, biding her time. She ignores the lawyer. ‘But I think you do know, Connor,’ she says at last. ‘I think you know more than you’re telling us. And I think you’re covering for your friends.’

‘They’re not my friends.’ Connor knows exactly who Freya is talking about.

‘Maybe not. But you’re covering for them. And I don’t understand why.’ Freya leans forward slightly. ‘We spoke to the college and to Barry, and they say the same thing.’ Connor looks up sharply. ‘That you’re a clever kid and you’ve got a good future ahead of you.’

‘That’s bollocks,’ Connor mumbles.

‘Barry says your grandad would have been proud of the man you’ve become.’

Connor stares at her. ‘You know nothing about me or my grandad.’ He looks to Reynolds. ‘Can they do this?’ he asks him. ‘Can they ask me this stuff?’

‘Get to your point, Detective,’ the solicitor replies.

‘I know a bit about your grandad, Connor,’ Freya continues. ‘I know that after your mum died, he took you in. I know that he was a respected man in his community. That he raised money for charity. And I also know that he went to prison. For aggravated burglary, in 1999.’

‘So what?’ Connor’s stance changes, defensive for his grandfather.

Freya takes a deep breath in. This is their last chance, and she knows it could all go wrong.