The Silent Suspect by Nell Pattison (epub e ink reader .TXT) 📕

I had no idea how he’d react if I walked into his house, or what the repercussions might be. I looked to Sasha for confirmation, but I needn’t have worried.

Paul Ilford, Nadia’s boss, Sasha told me. Apparently he’s the friend who collected Lukas yesterday, and he’s letting him stay here with him for a while.

I raised my eyebrows. Clearly owning a care agency was a lucrative business, if this was the house he lived in. Of course, a house this size in a big city would be worth a lot more than it was in Scunthorpe, but I estimated it was still worth more than half a million.

We rang the bell and waited. Behind us, I heard the gate clang shut, then a moment later the door opened. Paul smiled at us, but he looked tired.

‘Morning, thank you for coming,’ he told us. ‘Lukas is just getting dressed. We stayed up quite late last night.’

How is he? Sasha asked. I expected she wanted to hear someone else’s assessment of him before she saw Lukas himself.

Paul grimaced. He talked as we went through a wide hallway into the enormous dine-in kitchen that seemed to run the full length of the back of the house. ‘He’s been better. There’s a lot going on – he’s grieving for Nadia, of course, but he’s also dealing with his emotions around being arrested.’

He indicated some stools at the breakfast bar where we could sit, and offered us tea or coffee. The kitchen was immaculate, with gleaming surfaces and smooth finishes to the units. I imagined he didn’t have children, to keep it that clean; I found it hard enough with only two adults living in my flat. The dining area had patio doors leading out to a beautifully landscaped garden, and I could see a long extension that ran down the side of the garden. The way the light was reflected onto the part of the interior wall I could see made me realise this was an indoor swimming pool.

‘He’s had a tough time of it.’ I knew Paul could sign, but as I was there I interpreted his words for Sasha and he seemed grateful. I wondered how much sleep he’d managed to get.

‘Has Lukas said anything about what happened to Nadia?’ I asked.

Paul shook his head. ‘I asked him a couple of times, but he just said he didn’t want to talk about it. I didn’t want to push him.’

Sasha patted him on the arm. Don’t worry, you’ve been a good friend to him. Is he going to stay with you for now?

‘I’ve given him a choice,’ Paul said, busying himself with the kettle. ‘He can stay here, or if he’d rather have some privacy, I still have my mum’s old house. I’d be happy to let him kip down there for a while, at least until the council can get him something. I haven’t got around to putting it on the market yet,’ he added with a shrug. I remembered Paul saying that Nadia had been his mother’s carer, and I wondered if he thought Lukas might like to be somewhere he could feel close to her. Perhaps Paul was still grieving for his mother and couldn’t bring himself to sell the house yet, so this gave him a good excuse to delay the sale further.

There was a creak from upstairs and I heard footsteps in the hall, then a moment later Lukas appeared in the doorway. He was dressed in jeans and a shirt that were clearly a size or two too big for him, and I realised they must be Paul’s – Lukas had lost all his belongings in the fire as well as his wife. His skin looked grey and he had the gaunt look of someone who has lost weight quickly due to stress or illness. When he saw Sasha, he attempted a smile, but it didn’t reach his eyes.

Good morning, he signed, his gaze flicking back and forth between the two of us. Sorry, I overslept.

Hi, Lukas. Sasha stood and put a hand out towards his shoulder, but he flinched away so she pulled back. I’m so glad you’re here. I knew what she meant was ‘I’m glad you were released’, but she obviously didn’t want to mention the police or prison at the moment.

How are you feeling? she continued.

Lukas glanced over to where Paul was pouring coffee and took a cup, sitting down opposite me and taking a sip before replying.

I am very tired. I have nightmares.

Sasha and I looked at each other, and I could see my surprise mirrored on her face. Even though Lukas had been released, I had expected it to take more effort to get him to open up to us.

Sasha gave Lukas a sympathetic smile. That’s understandable. If you want me to help you arrange some counselling, I can do that.

Lukas shrugged.

You don’t have to make a decision straight away. Even if you want to see someone in a month, or six months, I can help you with that.

Lukas sniffed, and glanced over at Paul. I could smell stale alcohol on him, and I wondered if Sasha had noticed it as well. I wouldn’t have been at all surprised if the first thing he did as soon as he was released was drown his sorrows, especially with his history with alcohol, but I knew it was something Sasha would need to be watchful for.

For a few minutes, Sasha talked to Lukas about the situation he was in now – how it was important for him to stay away from anyone who might cause trouble, as the police would be watching him, and his options for housing. Lukas didn’t respond the whole time, which made me worry he was going to clam up completely again. Paul had walked off to make a phone call, so I sat and looked out of the back window at the huge garden, in the hope that Sasha could get something out of him on her own.