River of Souls Read Online Free PDF Page B

gave a rapid nod. ‘It’s fine. Jude deserves all the time she needs.’
    We found a quiet bench away from the main thoroughfare, and I observed his body language. Guy’s hands were in perpetual motion, flying up to adjust his hair, or fidgeting in his lap. His mother hadn’t described the nature of his breakdown, but it must have been severe to keep him away from college for a whole year.
    ‘I’m trying to build a picture of Jude’s life before the attack. Do you remember much about the weeks leading up to it?’
    ‘Not really. I was planning to study sculpture in Rome that summer, but I got ill after she was hurt, so I never went.’
    ‘Did you speak to your sister the day it happened?’
    ‘She called to invite me to a party, but I told her I was too busy. If I’d gone with her, she’d still be safe.’ His hands clenched suddenly in his lap.
    ‘That’s not how it works,’ I said quietly. ‘If the attacker was determined to hurt her, he’d have found another way.’
    ‘I suppose so.’ His expression was a mixture of sullenness and rage.
    ‘Did you work that evening, at your mum’s?’
    He gave an awkward nod. ‘I had some drawings to finish.’
    ‘But you ate together?’
    ‘Not that night. She had hay fever; after she went to bed I made myself some food.’
    His story didn’t tally with his mother’s description of a cosy shared meal before she went for her bath. Guy’s behaviour was twitchy enough to make me concerned, but the shock of his sister’s attack might have made him forget the order of events.
    ‘Were you and Jude close as kids?’ I asked.
    His gaze slipped away. ‘I wasn’t always the best brother.’
    ‘How do you mean?’
    ‘I was a thorn in her side. Jude’s way smarter than me. Most of the time she tried to protect me, even though I’m a year older.’
    ‘Protect you from what?’
    ‘Myself, mainly. I’m my own worst enemy.’
    ‘Why do you say that?’
    ‘I’ve never had great self-control. Even as a kid it was all or nothing; I’d play computer games all night if I could get away with it. I’d been partying too hard at college last year. My panic attacks started after she got hurt; I’d go and see her then spend days locked in my room. I still struggle with it now.’
    ‘That can’t be easy.’
    Guy picked at the chalk on his hands. I could understand why he’d been traumatised by his sister’s injuries. A single visit had unsettled me, but hours at her bedside watching her suffer could drive a loved one to breaking point.
    ‘Do you talk to your dad about how you feel?’
    He let out a sharp laugh. ‘You’re joking. He thinks emotions are for weaklings, and Jude’s the one he’s close to, not me.’
    ‘What about Father Owen? Could you talk to him?’
    He flinched. ‘Not really. I go to church for Mum’s sake these days; religion stopped working for me after Jude’s attack. But it was awful to hear he’d died.’
    ‘Do you ever go to confession?’
    ‘I haven’t for months.’
    I studied him again. ‘Can you think of anyone who might want to hurt your family?’
    He gave me a sharp look. ‘Dad’s surrounded by weirdos all day long. These freaks come to his office; I don’t know how he stands it. Maybe one of them attacked Jude to get at him.’ His skin was growing paler by the minute.
    ‘Do you know if your sister had ever been attacked before?’
    His shoulders twitched. ‘Why do you ask?’
    ‘It’s all guesswork at this stage until I fill in the gaps. But this type of attack can be part of a history of violence. Attackers go to these lengths when it’s personal, not random. It’s often someone with strong feelings for the victim, like a jealous friend or an ex-partner.’
    ‘Jude should talk about her past, not me. She hates people gossiping.’
    ‘Maybe she can’t bring herself to look back – any details you remember could help her. Would you mind meeting again over the next few weeks?’
    ‘Of course not.’ Guy’s face