The Silent Suspect Nell Pattison (best classic books of all time TXT) 📖

at me, then back at Lukas, and she nodded. Paige, I think it’s time we left Lukas to rest, now.

Yes. Go, he signed, looking at me, and now I could see the anger starting to build. I wanted to explain that I was only trying to find out the truth, to protect him and his family, but I knew it would only add fuel to the flames of his anger. Knowing when I was beaten, I nodded.

You’re right. I’m sorry.

Lukas looked slightly appeased, but stood with his arms folded until we left the room. There was no sign of Paul, so we showed ourselves out.

I’m going to go and see Caroline, Sasha told me once we were outside, with her back to the house so Lukas wouldn’t be able to see if he was looking out of a window. I’ll see if I can sort out some mediation between her and Lukas, at least as far as Mariusz is concerned. Are you happy to come with me and interpret?

Of course, I told her. Maybe she’ll know something about this gang.

I went to get into my car, but Sasha put out a hand to stop me.

Paige, I understand you want to help, but you can’t do this. I can’t let you upset my clients, when you’re talking about something that goes beyond the scope of my role. Okay? Let me talk to Caroline. Don’t get yourself involved.

I felt my face flush, and I nodded, feeling suitably chastised. I wanted to defend myself – couldn’t she see I was only trying to help him? Why had Sasha suddenly changed her tune now that Lukas had been released? Maybe she didn’t realise that there was still a good chance he’d be arrested again, and all the police were doing was buying time to gather more evidence. Whatever happened, I was determined that Lukas Nowak wouldn’t go to jail for a crime he didn’t commit.

Chapter 28

Caroline was wearing her work uniform when she opened the door to us. She sighed deeply.

‘What do you two want?’

We want to talk to you about Lukas and Mariusz, Sasha told her. I interpreted for Caroline and she rolled her eyes at me.

‘I understand well enough,’ she snapped at me, then turned to Sasha, signing as she spoke. ‘I have nothing to talk about. I’ll talk to Lukas if I need to, though I’d rather not.’

Sasha looked at her for a moment, and something obviously wavered in Caroline’s resolve, because she let out a loud huffing sound and stepped back into the hall, leaving the door wide open.

‘Fine, come in. But you won’t change my mind about anything.’

We followed her into a small living room that was neat but cluttered. A large TV dominated the wall opposite the sofa, and there were clothes piled up on the armchair that stood to the side. The coffee table in the centre was scattered with remotes and a couple of games console handsets, as well as a pile of magazines and a couple of schoolbooks.

‘I keep telling him he needs to keep all his school stuff together,’ Caroline muttered as she neatened a few things. ‘It ends up all over the house, then when he needs it he can’t find it.’

‘I did the same thing when I was a teenager,’ I told her, hoping to lighten the mood, but she just shot me a dark look, as if to say nobody had asked me.

Caroline nodded to the sofa, and Sasha and I both sat down. She didn’t offer us a drink – I imagined she didn’t want to encourage us to stay any longer than was necessary.

‘You’ve seen him, then?’ she asked, and I knew she must mean Lukas. ‘I can’t believe they let him out,’ she added, with a shake of her head. ‘What if he does it again?’

The police don’t have enough evidence to hold Lukas, Sasha said. He’s innocent until proven guilty.

Caroline let out a harsh laugh. ‘That’s bollocks and you know it. They’ll arrest him again soon enough, I bet.’

In her anger, Caroline had stopped signing so I took over interpreting, which was probably a good thing because it prevented me from jumping in myself. Sasha was right, I needed to leave it to her – if I’d been there on my own it would be different, but I didn’t want to damage her professional reputation just to satisfy my own curiosity.

Is that why you don’t want him to see Mariusz? Sasha asked. Because you think Lukas killed Nadia?

Caroline looked at Sasha as if she was stupid. ‘Obviously. The police wouldn’t have arrested him in the first place if they weren’t pretty fucking certain he’d killed her, would they? I don’t care what they say – they had to let him out on some technicality, not because he didn’t do it. It’s a good job I don’t know where he’s staying, or I would have gone round there and told him what I think of him.’ She sat down on the arm of the chair, a disgusted look on her face. ‘And to think I let Mariusz go round there every other week. It’s a bloody good job he was here with me when it happened, or God knows what Lukas would have done to him.’

Sasha wore a frown of concern as she took in Caroline’s words. Do you think that Lukas has the potential to harm Mariusz?

‘He’s a murderer,’ Caroline snapped. ‘He’s got the potential to harm anyone. If he’d do that to his wife, of course he’d do it to his son.’ She shook her head and grimaced. ‘He was a pretty useless husband, but I always thought he was good with Mariusz, even though it’s a nightmare trying to get money out of him. I can’t believe I trusted him for so long.’

She folded her arms and gave us a defiant look, and I wondered if she was waiting for us to try and convince her of Lukas’s innocence.

‘Is Mariusz here?’ I asked.

‘No,