She nodded, then looked at her watch. Come on, you, let’s get you in the shower and down to the police station. Then once you’ve given your statement we can choose some trashy films and stay on the sofa until Monday.
Aren’t you at work today?
No, I took the day off, compassionate leave. I figured you needed me more today.
I gave her a hug, then went off to try and wash some of the smoke out of my hair. There was a pleasant jittery feeling running through the whole of my body at the thought of seeing Rav, and I hummed to myself while I was in the shower. By the time I was finished, I’d made my mind up: it was time to seize the day, and once I’d given my statement I was going to ask him out for a drink.
Standing outside the police station, I realised there was still one question I didn’t have the answer to, and I wouldn’t feel like this was all over until I did. Before I went inside to give my statement, I made a call.
Hello? Lukas looked puzzled when he answered.
Hi, Lukas. Do you have a couple of minutes to talk?
He nodded. You saved my life. I can always give you a few minutes.
I thought back to the night Nadia had been killed, and our conversation in the hospital. Do you remember telling me that you knew who was responsible for Nadia’s death?
I do. I was an idiot.
Did you know what Paul was up to? Had Nadia told you about any of it, about his mother, or the drug dealing?
Lukas shook his head hurriedly. No, no, Paige, you must believe me. I didn’t know about any of that, or I would have told the police. He hung his head. I should have talked to them. Maybe they would have found out about Paul sooner.
You couldn’t have saved Nadia, I told him gently. She must have thought she could deal with Paul without getting you involved.
I know, but … He shrugged. Anyway, it doesn’t matter now.
I paused for a moment, wondering if I should leave it, but I wanted to know. It matters to me, I told him. Who did you think had killed her?
He grimaced before he replied. I thought it was Roy. He’d already threatened me once that evening, when his thugs beat me up outside the pub, and then I got that text. I knew it was from him, but I assumed it referred to Nadia, not just the beating. But after a while, I began to wonder if it might have been Sasha. She is such a passionate woman, I believe there are a lot of things she would do to get what she wants. When she kept trying to see me I wondered if she was making sure I hadn’t said anything to implicate her. I knew it was safest if I didn’t say anything, and hoped to God that the police found out the truth.
I nodded slowly. It made sense, and his reasons for not talking were ones I’d suggested myself – at first he was scared of Roy, but then when he started to suspect Sasha he stayed silent in order to protect her.
Thanks, Lukas. I appreciate you being honest with me.
He nodded. Now I need to go and spend some time with my son, he told me, so I said goodbye and hung up, then took a deep breath before going in to give my statement.
Something about the atmosphere in the police station felt different as I walked in. But it was as busy as ever, and as I was led through to an interview room there was the usual hustle and bustle of people coming and going that I was used to. I couldn’t put my finger on what it was that might have changed.
I sat in the room and waited for about fifteen minutes. Rav hadn’t specified a time to come in, so I didn’t mind waiting until he was free. I used the time trying to get all the details straight in my head, knowing I would have to include as much information as possible.
The door opened and I felt a wave of disappointment when DI Forest walked in, alone.
‘Good afternoon, Paige,’ she said with a smile, which instantly threw me. I was so used to Forest scowling at me that I wondered what had happened to effect this change. ‘Thank you for coming in. I’d like to take your statement about the events of yesterday, if that’s okay?’
I agreed, but asked a question first.
‘What about Paul?’
‘Paul Ilford was arrested in the early hours of this morning. He was driving through Norfolk, and the automated number plate recognition cameras picked him up. I don’t think he was expecting us to be looking for him quite so soon – he was going to stay in a cottage near Cromer for a while, until things had died down.’
‘Did he realise that Lukas and I had survived?’
‘I don’t think so.’
I shuddered at the arrogance of the man, then Forest shuffled impatiently, and I knew she wanted to begin. We went through everything, from my conversation with the carer (whom Forest had managed to track down and take a statement from) to my decision to go into the house when I knew Paul Ilford was there. That was a difficult one to justify, because I couldn’t quite explain why I’d done it. I had been fairly confident that he’d murdered Nadia and probably his mother, but it hadn’t crossed my mind that he’d had similar plans for Lukas.
Once I’d finished describing my fight with Paul in the kitchen, finding Lukas, and our attempted escape, Forest sat back and turned off the tape recorder.
‘Can I ask something?’
The DI nodded.
‘Why did Paul kill his mother? That seems to have been the catalyst for this
