‘Is this some kind of trick?’
‘His name is Bojan Radulovic, Erin.’ She repeats herself. ‘A thirty-three-year-oldsingleman, originally from Montenegro. He’d been living alone in apartment 22a at Pengally Court, theaddress you gave us when you called dispatch, for a little over eighteen months. He worked for an exclusive chauffeur business in West London as a driver after emigrating to the UK in the early 2000s.’
‘No!’ I say, shaking my head. ‘You’ve got it wrong.’
I have no idea what or who she’s talking about.
Clearly, there’s been a terrible mistake.
FOUR
‘Thisman is Ari Hussain.’
It’s my turn to tap the face on the photo as I look directly at Detective Pritchard. She’s got it wrong, but that’s no real surprise judging by past experience.
‘He’s been in a relationship with my friend, Samantha Valentine, for the past year or so,’ I explain. ‘He works in the city, for some big tech company. I can’t remember the name of it now, but she did tell me. Anyway, Sam will tell you herself! Where is she?’
Panic spikes in my voice. I don’t think I much like where the detective is going with this – it sounds like she doesn’t believe what I’m telling her. ‘She can corroborate everything I say. This man, this Bojan whatever his name is… it must be a false name!’
I’m shrieking now though, and Bill the solicitor is staring at me, unblinking – both of them are.
‘How many times have you met Bojan Radulovic, Erin?’
‘Never! I’ve never met anyone by that name! The man in this picture is Ari Hussain. I’m telling you!’ Only I’m fast getting the unsettling feeling that shereallyactuallydoesn’tbelieve me, and it’s beginning to make me feel pretty unsafe. ‘Am I going to go to prison for this?’ I tuck my chin into my chest, not wantingto even entertain such a terrifying thought. ‘For tackling a crazy abuser with a knife who was about to stab my best friend,stab meto death?’ I take in a deep lungful of the stale air around me. My stress levels are on red. This isn’t going how I thought it would. She’s treating me like a criminal when in fact I’m more of a hero than anything. I protected my friend. I’ve done her job for her.
‘OK, Erin.’ Detective Pritchard’s tone softens a fraction. ‘I’ll rephrase the question. How many times have you met Ari Hussain?’
‘Never,’ I repeat, ‘well, not actually in person, not until today.’ Suddenly, I realise how this sounds. ‘But I know exactly who he is,’ I quickly add. ‘He’s Sam’s boyfriend, well, fiancé, actually. I’ve seen them together…’
Now I think of it though, that’s not entirely true either. I’ve never actually seen them togetherin person. But I’ve seen photos, I’ve watched her go up into the apartment they shared many times.And I’d seen the bruises.
‘We can’t find anyone by the name Samantha Valentine registered to that address, Erin.’ Detective Pritchard’s tone is direct. ‘The only person registered to 22a Pengally Court is Bojan Radulovic, the man you admit to killing. Samantha Valentine doesn’t live at that address and there’s no record of her ever having done so.’
‘That’s incorrect.’
I can’t stop shaking my head. Seriously, I’m beginning to think that the police must’ve all graduated from the same school for idiots. They can’t seem to get anything right. ‘That’sdefinitelyher address.’ But panic is beginning to cut through my confusion and disbelief.
Detective Pritchard pauses again.
‘When did you meet Samantha Valentine, Erin?’
‘Sixteen weeks ago, almost to the day.’
‘That’s very specific.’ Her eyebrows gently rise. ‘So she’s a relatively new friend, this Samantha?’
‘I suppose so, but we feel as if we’ve known each other forever.’ I look into her eyes; they’re small and brown and a bit piggy, if I’m honest. ‘We’re kindred spirits, soul sisters. Honestly, we were destined to become friends.’
‘I see. How did you meet her?’
‘At a job interview, for Austin Marz Productions, the production company in town where I work as a receptionist. Or did.’
I feel a jab of despair in my ribs. I liked my job, and generally I got on well with my boss. They were definitely going to sack me now though.
‘We’ve checked your phone, Erin. But we can’t seem to find evidence of any communication between yourself and anyone named Samantha Valentine on it. There’s no one by that name in any of your contact lists either, no messages, no record of any calls between you, nothing on your social media. Can you explain that?’
I feel slightly sick in my stomach, like suddenly I’m free-falling out of a plane without a parachute and plunging to earth at 300 miles an hour.That can’t be possible. I take a breath, try to compose myself. I have nothing to fear if I just tell the truth, right?
‘Look, I have no idea who this Bojan Ludovic is. Ari must’ve been using a fake identity or something, unless that’s his actual name and he’s been lying to Samantha about who hereallyis.’
