Chapter 33
Chapter Thirty-Three
Lily closed the shop early in the afternoon and sent Jessica home. Pacing the back room of the shop, she kept glancing through for Flynn arriving, while chewing over her plan.
She’d tell him about the money. Lots of people kept large amounts of cash without it being dodgy. Maybe her uncle had been like Silas and didn’t trust banks.
There was no need to mention the passport since she planned on destroying it.
Why had she even kept it to start with? All she could think of now was the relief it would bring to be rid of it.
Whatever reason her uncle had for it, was nothing to do with her life now.
She had a good thing going on St Mary’s and she should look to the future instead of dwelling on the past.
The knock at the front door startled her, and she wandered through, her smile not disguising her confusion that it was the sergeant at the door when she was expecting Flynn.
“Hi,” she said, opening the door.
“Can I come in?” His formal tone put Lily on edge, but she stepped aside and let the door fall shut behind him.
“What’s going on?”
He tugged at his collar and rested a hand on the back of the nearest chair. “I need you to explain the contents of the backpack Len Marrack stole from you.”
Her stomach turned to stone. “My backpack?” she said weakly.
“Yes. The one you neglected to report stolen and which contains large sums of cash and two passports… one of which I assume is a forgery.”
Lily’s jaw hung open.
“You can start by explaining the passports,” the sergeant said.
“I… umm…” Her heart beat so hard that her blood pulsated uncomfortably through her veins.
“You’re not denying that you have two passports with two different names?”
Swallowing hard, she pulled her shoulders back. “No.”
“Lily.” He rubbed at his forehead and sighed heavily. “What on earth is going on?”
“It’s hard to explain, but…”
“But what?”
“I think maybe I need a lawyer.”
The look he gave her was mostly disappointment. “If you think you need a lawyer, you probably do. I’ll need you to come down to the station for a formal interview. If you don’t have a lawyer, I can arrange one for you.”
Tears threatened behind Lily’s eyes, but she blinked them away. “Now?” she asked.
“Yes, now.”
She glanced behind her. “I need to run upstairs and lock up.”
“Go on then,” he said and sank onto the nearest chair.
As she ascended the stairs to the flat, Lily pulled her phone from her pocket and took a deep breath. She had no idea if Maria knew more about her childhood than she’d let on, but now seemed like as good a time as any to ask her outright.
At the door to the flat she tapped away, telling Maria about the money and the passports and the fact that the sergeant was taking her to the police station.
If you know anything at all, she typed at the end of the message. Please help me.
She hit send without stopping to think or reread the message. Then she locked up the flat and went back downstairs.
“Are you okay?” she asked Sergeant Proctor as he stood with what appeared to be a fair amount of effort.
“Fine. Let’s get to the station and get this over and done with.”
They walked in silence to the police station.
The vague sense of fear in the depths of her stomach was replaced by annoyance when she clapped eyes on Flynn sitting at the front desk.
He’d promised he’d get her the backpack without anyone looking in it.
She’d trusted him to do that, but he clearly hadn’t trusted her enough to not look.
“We should let Len go on bail,” the sergeant said. “On the condition that he doesn’t approach anyone he stole from. In fact, he probably shouldn’t leave his house.”
Flynn stood slowly, his eyebrows lifted. “He’s already gone. We sent him home before you left to speak with Lily.”
“Oh, yeah.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “Lily has agreed to a voluntary interview.”
“Are you feeling okay?” Flynn asked, coming around the desk to the sergeant.
“I’m fine.” He stood up straighter. “I’m just going to get a breath of fresh air, then I’ll interview Lily.”
The room was eerily quiet as he pushed at the door and walked outside.
“He seems a little under the weather,” Lily remarked.
“It’s been a long day.” Flynn worried at his bottom lip. “What’s going on?”
“I wish I knew,” she said sadly.
“Why do you have two passports?”
“I honestly don’t know,” she said, desperate for him to believe her. “I found the money and passport after my uncle died.”
“Why did you keep it?”
Her shoulders slumped. “I’ve been asking myself the same question for days. Part of me wanted to know why he had it. I had hoped Maria might have some clues for me, but she doesn’t seem to know any more than I do.” She scrubbed a hand down her face. “How much trouble am I in?”
“Depends. If the money was obtained legally and if the forged passport was never used, then things will be slightly better.”
“I’ve never used it. I’ve never travelled on it or anything. At least not as far as I know. I swear I only knew about it when Uncle Derek died.”
Flynn looked at her sadly. “Even having a forged passport in your possession could get you ten years in prison.”
“You can’t be serious?” Her heart pounded even more furiously. She felt dizzy, and slightly nauseous. “I can’t go to prison. I didn’t do anything.”
“Are you telling me the truth?”
“Yes.” She hated that he had to ask, and was about to comment on that when the walkie talkie on his desk let out a shrill tone that was impossible to ignore. “What’s that?” she asked as he set off to the desk.
“Someone’s pressed the red button.”
“What does that mean?”
“Either an officer is in trouble and needs immediate backup, or they pressed the button by accident.” He lifted the radio and muttered a curse as he looked at the display.
“What’s wrong?” Lily asked.
“Wait here,” he said, running for the door. “Just stay here. I’ll be back.”
Stunned, Lily stared at the door for a minute. Then she sank onto a chair to await her fate.