Astrid spent an hour driving around trying to collect her thoughts. The trip to Elm Street had been a damp squib, and she didn’t know what to do next. She waited for Evie’s text to say she’d finished with the lawyer and her brother. That came at six o’clock. She was outside the police station by six-fifteen, seeing Evie sitting on the pavement with both hands on her head.
She got out of the car. ‘You should have stopped inside for me. You don’t know who could be looking for you.’ Religious fanatics, failed writers, child killers, or anyone else who feared Evie or her family.
She removed her hands and stared at Astrid. ‘I’m done hiding. My life starts here. How was your trip?’
‘Wasted. How was your time with your brother?’
Evie stood. ‘I’ll tell you everything over food. I need something to eat before I shrivel up.’
‘You look like you need a drink more.’
‘Are you trying to get me drunk?’
Astrid laughed. ‘No, but I know the perfect place where we can have both beer and food.’
They got into the car and Astrid drove away. She wanted to quiz Evie about her time in the police station, but recognised the weariness in her. She needed refuelling, and Astrid wasn’t opposed to suitable refreshment. She headed out of town and down a dirt road. She grinned at the shock on Evie’s face when she parked outside a bar looking like it was from the Mad Max movies.
Evie got out of the car. ‘Are you trying to corrupt me?’
‘After seven years in enforced exile, it’s time for you to live a little, and I checked online for the best boozer in Eureka Falls, and this is it.’ She stared at the neon sign proclaiming a welcome to the Ducks Deluxe.
They marched up to the bar together. A few middle-aged bikers loitered around with drunken eyes fixed on them as they strode inside. Stale beer and sweat swirled in the air while the jukebox spat out the sounds of New York punk circa 1976. Astrid pointed to an empty spot at the far end. She wanted somewhere she could see the door.
It was like moving through quicksand as they made their way to the table. She scanned the room, assessing the dozen people there. Two burly bearded blokes were serving drinks. Evie sat down first, and Astrid handed her the menu.
‘Have a look through that, and I’ll get the drinks.’
She left her and went to the bar. The Ramones sang about a blitzkrieg bop as she got the beers and returned to the table. Evie was chewing on her fingers as if she hadn’t eaten all day.
‘I’ll have a chicken burger, fries, onion rings and garlic bread.’
‘I’m sure someone will take our order soon.’ She pressed a beer towards Evie. ‘This might dampen your hunger. Have a drink, and then tell me what happened this afternoon. You were in there a long time.’
Evie’s hands were small and the pint glass wide. She pushed both sets of fingers around it and lifted it to her face, then placed it to her lips and drank. Bits of foam stuck to her mouth as she put the drink onto the table, half of it already gone.
‘It’s all good news.’ She wiped at her face. ‘Adam’s lawyer, Joan Harris, has a strategy in place to prove his innocence.’
Astrid gulped down her beer. It tasted like hops and she regretted not getting a bottle of cider. She couldn’t have much, not when she had to drive back to the hotel, so she didn’t want to waste it on that.
‘It’s going to court, then?’
‘According to the lawyer, the police believe they have the right person in my brother. His DNA was on the girls’ clothes, so they’re not looking for anyone else.’
‘What type of DNA?’
‘His hair.’
‘You don’t appear upset by that.’
She watched Evie finish the rest of her drink without stopping to breathe. ‘I spent a long time listening to the lawyer. She has a clear plan which convinced me.’
Astrid pushed her unwanted beer towards Evie. ‘Tell me all about it.’
‘Harris says the prosecution case focuses on two things: the discovery of the bodies in our house and the fact they have Adam’s DNA on them.’
Astrid understood what she meant. ‘If the police had found the girls in my hotel room, they’d probably have my DNA on them. It wouldn’t mean I was their killer. A good defence lawyer would tear that to shreds.’
‘And I think Harris is more than a good defence lawyer. She told me several ways his hair could have got on to their clothes without him being there. I also helped out.’
‘How so?’
Evie reached into her trouser pocket and removed her key for the family home. ‘I told her about this.’
‘That would add doubt into the minds of any jury when the prosecution states there was only one way into the house since there was no sign of a break-in.’
‘Many people had access to the key during my time at Shady Acres. They could have copied and replaced it at any point without me realising.’
‘What about the security code?’
‘My parents never changed it in twenty years. Even when they upgraded the system, they always kept the same six numbers.’
‘A birthday or anniversary?’
Evie’s giggle took a decade and three days of stress from her face. ‘Something like that. It’s always been 666777.’
‘If the Devil is six, then God is seven.’
‘Indeed.’
‘Did the police mention a motive to the lawyer?’
‘They did. They’re hung up on Adam’s sadomasochistic lifestyle.’
Astrid grinned at her unintentional pun. ‘Perhaps we should tell them about Jack Kennedy and what he tried to do to you.’
‘I asked one of the officers at the station about him. They don’t know where he is. I also got a reply from the literary agent.’
‘What did they say?’
‘She said they couldn’t cancel the book auction without any proof the novel is mine. So I borrowed the lawyer’s laptop and emailed the file you rescued from Jack’s computer. I’m waiting to hear back from them.’
‘How does Adam feel about what his lawyer is doing?’
Evie grabbed the beer with one hand, the glass teetering in her fingers as she sipped from it. ‘He’s in a much better frame of mind than when we saw him last. I’m not sure he understands that, even if Harris proves his innocence in court, he’ll still spend months behind bars.’
‘The path of justice is sometimes long and bumpy.’
‘Is this what it was like when you were an investigator in Britain?’
‘Sometimes. The people I worked for, who your uncle still works for, had their ways of dispensing justice which didn’t include wasting time on human rights and the rule of law.’
‘Did that bother you?’
Astrid reached for a glass she didn’t have. She needed alcohol more than food.
‘Not in the slightest. The laws of nature are more important than the laws of man.’ She deliberately said man instead of humankind.
‘Do you think the end justifies the means?’
She watched as the barmaid stepped into view. Astrid smiled as she walked towards them.
‘There is no black and white, only shades of grey.’
‘What can I get you, ladies?’
She spoke to them both, but stared straight at Astrid. They ordered their food and another round of drinks, with a bottle of cider for Astrid this time.
‘The only way to get your brother out of custody as soon as possible is for me to find the real culprit.’
‘Are you making any progress?’
It was a difficult question. She answered it honestly, one eye on the barmaid as she sorted their order.
‘No.’
Evie’s eyes widened. Astrid couldn’t tell if the pain in her heart was guilt or irritation. ‘It’s not your fault. However long it takes, I know Adam will be proved innocent.’ The barmaid brought the drinks to the table. ‘The most important thing now is knowing I’ve regained my faith.’
The bottle was cold in Astrid’s hand, the neck of it frozen against her lips, her mind returning to the ragtag bunch who’d taken Evie to that abandoned factory.
‘You’ve returned to religion?’
Evie grinned and took another drink. ‘Nothing like that. I’ve regained my faith in myself. Outside of Adam’s situation, I’ve only got one last thing to do before I move on with my life.’
She put the house key in her pocket and replaced it with a folded piece of paper.
Astrid sipped at the cider and picked up the paper. ‘You’re going to your school reunion?’
‘There are a few things I have to say to certain people, and this is the perfect opportunity for it.’
‘Do you want me to come with you?’
‘I appreciate the offer, but I need to do this on my own.’
‘Jack Kennedy is out there somewhere, and there are others in this town prepared to take their frustrations out on you.’
Evie finished the beer and slipped the paper into her pocket. ‘I’m sure you can keep me out of trouble for the next few days. We’ll watch old movies on TV and talk about our favourite books.’
The food arrived as Astrid thought about Evie’s suggestion. She tried to relax, listening to the music, enjoying the spiced chicken wings, and made the cider last a long time. After they finished eating, they hung around for the live band, a quartet of Stooges-inspired young women called Naked On My Goat. Astrid was pleased to see Evie push her stress away as she had two more beers.
It was close to midnight before they left. Evie had one last surprise for her.
‘I want us to stay at Adam’s house, to stay at my house. I checked with the police, and they said it’s no longer an ongoing crime scene.’
She understood why Evie wanted it, but was also aware of the potential pitfalls. Not many people would fancy sleeping in a place where a killer had murdered two children.
‘I’ll take us there. Is there anything you need from the hotel?’
Evie considered the question. ‘Just the stuff we got from Kennedy’s house. I’ll need to get up early tomorrow so we can go shopping.’
‘Go shopping for what?’
‘Well, it’s about time I had some new clothes. And maybe we’ll buy you something.’
Astrid laughed at the look Evie gave her. ‘Don’t you like my outfit of leather jacket and jeans?’
‘You’re my fashion idol. But if I turn up at the reunion looking like you, I might get a few strange looks.’
Astrid started the car. ‘What time is it on?’
‘It runs from twelve to six. According to the leaflet, the school has set a no-alcohol policy during it so there’ll be drinks in town afterwards. I think I’ll probably need one by then.’
‘You and me both,’ Astrid said as she drove away. She was happy to see Evie in a good mood and thinking positively about her life. But all Astrid was thinking about was how she’d let her and her brother down.