Dead Wrong - [40]

‘Emma says he owed Jay money.’

‘He owed everyone money,’ Luke said, ‘but what’s all this got to do with me and what happened to Ahktar?’

If only I knew. ‘There’s something else which makes me more sure that there is a connection,’ I went on. ‘I got a phone call on Saturday, an anonymous one. The caller said that Mrs Siddiq had not been at Nirvana that night, that her statement was all lies. That someone had told her what to say.’

Luke looked at me, struggling to work out what I meant.

‘I’ve no proof,’ I said, ‘but it fits with what I’ve heard so far. When I saw her she got very defensive about the details of that evening – innocent stuff about where they’d sat and who they’d seen. If she’s perjured herself, it’s good news for you as their testimony is the biggest part of the case against you. There’s no motive, after all.’

‘What about him?’

‘If all I’ve heard is true, Rashid Siddiq is a very nasty piece of work. He’s employed as a minder, security man, whatever, by Jay and every so often he’s involved in drug smuggling. According to Emma, he drives down to Southampton or up to Hull or over to Holyhead with Zeb and they collect a little something for Jay. Now, this hard man sees a crime committed. He does nothing at the time but late the next day he’s at the police station offering himself up as a witness. To me, that’s a bit peculiar. Most people in his position wouldn’t go anywhere near the police. They don’t want to be known to the police.’

‘Maybe he’s an informer,’ he said.

‘It’s possible.’ I thought about it, ‘OK, suppose he is informing on the drug stuff. They’ll be after the big players, won’t they – the suppliers overseas as well as Jay. if they’re using Siddiq, they’re not going to want him attracting attention by getting involved as a model citizen in a murder trial. That would only make Jay suspicious, wouldn’t it? Because it comes back to it being out of character.’

Luke rubbed his hands over his head, tired of all the supposition. ‘It’s all “if this” and “maybe that” and “what if” – and yet I’m still fucking here.’ His voice rose in desperation. ‘Can’t you just get me out of here? Can’t you just…’ He covered his face with his hands.

I waited a moment. This place was crushing him: the harsh regime, the pervading culture of hard men and bad boys, the smell, the ceaseless noise, the constant bullying.

‘I’m sorry. I realise how hard this must be, being in here. We are making progress,’ I said gently. ‘I’m going to see Pitt. Think about it: so far we’ve found new evidence about the murder weapon – Joey D’s knife killed Ahktar, the witnesses are lying about knowing him, and one if not both of them is lying about the whole thing. I’m sure Pitt can use this, Luke.’

He didn’t respond.

‘I’m pushing very hard to see Joey. His grandmother is in touch with him. He knows something, that’s why he’s hiding. I’ve given them an ultimatum: me now or the police will be after him. And you’re seeing Eleanor tomorrow for the hypnosis.’

‘Yeah,’ he said gruffly. He looked up at me then, dry-eyed, vulnerable. ‘What do you think happened?’

I took a breath, sat up in my seat. It could be dangerous to speculate as he wanted me to, raise false hopes or paint an untrue version of events, but he needed something to hold onto. ‘I don’t think you killed Ahktar; I don’t believe you even argued with him. I think someone else killed him, with Joey’s knife. I don’t know why Zeb would lie about you two arguing, or why Mrs Siddiq would pretend she was there if she wasn’t, or why Rashid Siddiq wanted to stand up and be counted, but I don’t think you did it.’

‘And the hypnosis. What if it comes out that I did do it? What if it was me?’ He shivered.

‘Luke, you don’t have to go ahead with it, if it’s too much, if the time’s not right.’

‘No, I will. If I can just remember…It’s the not remembering. You start to think – well, maybe I did do it. I could’ve done anything.’

‘Yes. The hypnosis – she won’t get you to remember anything that you don’t want to.’

He looked puzzled.

‘She said it’s got to be relaxed and comfortable – she’ll take it gently. I think you’ll be fine, but if you start blocking things out or get upset, Eleanor will stop. She’s not going to take you any further than you want to go. And you can change your mind; now, in the morning, whenever. OK?’

I let the guard know we had finished and waited while Luke was escorted away. The guard returned for me and took me through to the main entrance.

Outside it was a warm summer’s day. There was a border of shrubs around the car-park, purple hebe full of pointed flowers and a mock-orange blossom shedding white petals with a sweet, tangy scent. There was a carton of juice in the car. I wound the window down so I could smell the air and watch the bees busy combing the hebe while I had my drink.

I watched the bees but I saw Luke lying in his cell waiting for the morning, wondering if the hypnosis would prove his innocence or seal his guilt. And there was a question still to be answered that floored me every time it came to me; if Luke had done it, what on earth was I going to do?