The Things You Didn't See(10)

Holly stands close to me. Her gaze is intelligent and sympathetic. ‘It must be very hard to come to terms with.’

‘No, that’s not it. What I mean is that I know Mum wouldn’t do that.’

She frowns. There are furrows between her dark eyes. ‘Maybe that’s just what you want to think?’

‘No.’ I’m determined that she should believe me. ‘Suicide is for cowards, and she’s not one of those. My mum is tough – she’s run this place since she was in her early twenties, she’s seen through two recessions. She isn’t a quitter.’

Holly breathes in, looks around the room, then back at me. ‘You think someone else did this?’

‘I’m certain.’

I wait, expecting her to dismiss me, but she doesn’t.

‘I’ll have to write a report on this, but it doesn’t include a space for feelings: it’s a medical form. But I’ll tell my supervisor what you’ve said, and ensure it gets passed back to the police. It’s their job to investigate anything suspicious. We should go to the hospital now.’

Pacified, I let her lead me out.





5

Holly

Holly pulled her Fiat into her parking space and looked up at her flat with longing. It was small and hardly a triumph of design, built out of breeze blocks that fitted together simply, rather than with style, the rooms all small and square. But what it offered her was priceless: a place with no noise, no stimulation of any kind and, especially after the day she’d had, a chance to think of nothing at all. She removed the keys from the ignition, and gathered up her coat and work bag. Opening the car door, she was hit by cold air, a biting wind that promised frost.

As she walked across the car park, she saw that Leif ’s light was on, and that he was watching her from his kitchen window. The last time she’d seen him was this morning, he’d been naked and she’d had to tread over two used condoms to make her exit. So much had happened since then, she could hardly believe it was just twelve hours ago. What an idiot she was: relationships were bad news, she didn’t need the complication, and fucking a man who was a neighbour was bloody stupid.

She planned on slipping quietly into her flat, but when she arrived on the walkway to the flats he was there, waiting for her. She saw he was wearing the navy police uniform she had seen hanging in his bedroom that morning.

‘Hej du, Holly, have you enjoyed a good day? Fancy a fika with me?’

She tried to think of a response that would set the right tone, given she’d fucked him twice already today. ‘I’ll have to say no, I’m afraid,’ she said. ‘I need a quiet night rather than sex.’

Leif feigned offence, one hand to his chest. ‘Fika is coffee and cake! You English, with your dirty minds.’

She smiled at the misunderstanding, but still had no intention of taking this any further.

‘I’m too tired, Leif. It’s been a tough day.’

She took her key from her bag, keen to disappear inside her flat and close the door on Leif and any possibility of them being more than neighbours.

‘Me too!’ he said, as she was turning away. ‘I was called in as guard duty after some woman tried to blow her head off.’

Holly’s key was still in her hand, frozen in space. ‘Where was this?’

‘At this creepy farm out in the sticks. I had to stand for hours, bored and cold. That’s why I need coffee and cake.’

Holly slid her key back in her bag. ‘On second thoughts, cake would be perfect.’

Holly found herself on Leif ’s sofa, listening to his lyrical Beowulf accent describe being called in for duty, which as far as she could work out consisted of standing outside the front door of the farmhouse and taking people’s names as they came and went.

‘So the police think there was foul play?’ she asked. After she’d driven Cass to the hospital, she’d been to see Jon and done as she promised, telling him of Cass’s suspicion that her mother had not shot herself. He’d put a call through to CID, and a chain of action had been triggered. One that, it seemed, had included Leif.

But he seemed blasé. ‘An attempted suicide isn’t a crime, but because of the gun they have to check there’s nothing suspicious. The forensics team came and went very quickly.’

Holly’s only knowledge of such things was limited to the rare times she’d watched a police drama on TV. ‘So they didn’t find anything to say it wasn’t attempted suicide?’ She seemed to care so much more than Leif. His eyes were heavy, and he looked almost bored with the conversation.

‘I don’t think so, but it takes time, Holly – all the tests they do.’ He yawned, stretching his arms over his head. ‘My only other visitor was a nosy neighbour, and a reporter who kept trying to take photos whenever I turned my back. But I promised you cake. Actually, let me feed you properly. Come!’

The sudden change in focus stunned her, and she found herself with more questions than Leif was willing or able to answer. She leaned on the doorway of the kitchen, wondering how Cass was doing right now, and if Maya had woken yet. Leif grated potatoes and whipped eggs, and all the time her thoughts kept returning to Innocence Farm.

‘How many are on the investigating team?’

‘Hmm? It’s a routine investigation, so not many. Our SIO said it was a waste of resources because . . .’ He paused, looked down at his cooking. ‘Sorry, I shouldn’t be telling you.’