Killing a Stranger by Jane A. Adams Read Free Book Online Page A

a name like that,’ he said. He helped himself to three chocolate digestives, then paused. ‘Is it OK,’ he said. ‘I’m starving.’
    Clara’s smile was genuine this time. ‘Maybe I could make sandwiches?’
    They exchanged glances. What was it about grief, Patrick wondered, that made you not want to eat and then suddenly ravenous.
    â€˜Um, no, it’s all right,’ Charlie began.
    â€˜Look, I’d like to. It would be kind of … normal.’
    Patrick picked up the tray again. ‘We’ll all help,’ he said. ‘What else did the police take away?’
    It felt strange, he thought, to be talking about ‘police’ in the abstract, when he now knew it had been Alec that had carried out the search.
    â€˜Those two boxes, his computer, mobile phone, that sort of thing.’ She shrugged. ‘To be honest, I stopped watching after a while. I just couldn’t bear it. They were hoping one of you would know the password to his email account, I think.’
    â€˜I know what it
was
,’ Charlie mused. ‘But he was always changing it. Usually to something stupid. I don’t think he used it that much anyway, we all used to text or use
chat
online.’
    â€˜He didn’t mention anyone. Anyone else he might have been in contact with?’
    â€˜Nothing.’ Becky told her. ‘I wish he had.’
    Patrick was thinking hard. ‘Rob wasn’t secretive,’ he said. ‘I mean, he could never keep anything to himself, could he. You’d tell him something and next minute he’d blurt it out, then get all defensive when he remembered he’d been meant to keep his mouth shut. Oh,’ he added, seeing the sudden anxiety in Clara’s eyes. ‘I don’t mean big stuff, I mean …’
    â€˜Like if someone fancied someone,’ Becky explained. ‘You’d never tell Rob, not unless you wanted everyone to know. He just didn’t think.’
    Clara nodded, recognizing the trait. ‘But you think there was something. Something he’d been keeping back?’
    Patrick nodded.
    â€˜Yeah,’ Charlie agreed reluctantly. ‘He seemed edgy, impatient, got into rows with Becky and that wasn’t normal.
    Rob didn’t like rows, they were too much bother.’
    â€˜But you don’t know what?’
    Charlie sighed. ‘He talked about his dad a time or two,’ he said. ‘I mean, he’d talked about him before, about how he wondered who he was and sometimes … sometimes he got really annoyed that you wouldn’t tell him anything.’
    â€˜And he said something about a letter he’d found,’ Becky added suddenly.
    â€˜Found?’
    Becky looked embarrassed. She looked to the others for support.
    â€˜Becky,’ Clara said patiently. ‘Do you honestly think anything you could tell me now would be worse than what I already know?’
    Impulsively, Becky reached out and grasped Clara’s hand. ‘No,’ she admitted. ‘I don’t suppose it would be. I just …’ She laughed nervously, ‘God this’ll sound stupid. I don’t want anyone to think badly of him, you know?’
    Clara patted her hand. ‘I know,’ she said. ‘Have you told the police anything you’ve not told me?’
    They shifted uncomfortably. ‘No,’ Becky said. ‘We told them Rob had said something about a letter.’
    â€˜I think that’s what they came here looking for.’
    â€˜But we don’t know what letter. Rob didn’t say where he’d got it, but he said …’ She took a deep breath. ‘He said he’d got pissed off because you wouldn’t talk to him about his dad, he said he had a right to know. We think, we think he went through your stuff one day when you were out.’
    â€˜We only think that,’ Charlie added. ‘We really didn’t know.’
    Clara nodded. She crossed