The Guilty One Read Online Free PDF Page A

then they do seem to be terribly serious . . .”
    “He has been arrested, but he’s not been charged. He’s been formally cautioned, and he’s being questioned for murder, and this might go on for a few days. Better prepare yourself. At this stage, I think you’re right to be helpful. We’ll see how today goes. . . .”
    Charlotte’s face froze for a second. In the bright sunlight, Daniel noticed the heavy makeup clogged in the wrinkles around her mouth.
    “We just have to help him deal with this in the right way. We don’t want him to incriminate himself, but we want to make sure he answers the questions as fully as he can. If he doesn’t say something now that’s relevant later, it can go against him in court . . . ,” Daniel said.
    “God, how utterly ridiculous . . . the poor child being put through all this. The case won’t go to court, will it?”
    “Only if the police have enough evidence to charge him. He’s a suspect at the moment, nothing else. They don’t have any evidence, really, but the forensic evidence is key. We might get that report back today, and hopefully that will discount him.”
    Daniel cleared his throat. He wanted to believe his own comforting words.
    “Sebastian’s never been in any trouble like this before?” Daniel asked.
    “No, of course not. This is all just a terrible mistake.”
    “And he gets on fine at school—no problems with the other kids, or . . . academic issues?”
    “Well, I mean, he doesn’t adore school. My husband says it’s because he’s too bright. They don’t challenge him enough, you know.”
    “So he does have problems, then?” said Daniel, raising one eyebrow at Charlotte and noticing the strain on her throat as she defended her son.
    “He gets frustrated. He really is quite brilliant. He takes after his father, or so Ken keeps telling me. They just don’t know how to deal with him at school, how to . . . release his potential.
    “Do you . . .” Charlotte paused, removing her sunglasses. Daniel saw that her eyes were suddenly bright with expectation. “Shall I show you some of the work he’s done? He really is quite an exceptional child. I really don’t know how I produced him.”
    Charlotte wiped her palms on her trousers and skipped up the stairs. Daniel followed. He made an effort to keep up with her, up to the ground floor and then up again to Sebastian’s bedroom.
    On the first floor, Charlotte turned the brass handle and opened Sebastian’s bedroom door. Daniel felt wary about entering, but Charlotte beckoned him inside.
    The room was small. Daniel took in the Spider-Man bedspread and the powder blue walls. It seemed quieter than the kitchen and was darker, the window facing north. It was a private space disturbed, and Daniel felt as if he was intruding.
    “Look at that picture,” said Charlotte, pointing to a charcoal drawing pinned to the wall. Daniel saw an old woman, with a hooked nose. The charcoal had smudged in places, and the woman’s eyes seemed full of warning. “Possibly you can tell that it’s me. He did that for me at Christmas. One of our artist friends says it displays quite a precocious talent. I don’t think there’s much of a likeness, but apparently it conveys a sense of character . . .”
    Daniel nodded. There were stuffed toys lined up on the bed. Charlotte bent and picked up Sebastian’s schoolbag, pulling small notebooks from the satchel and leafing through the pages where the boy had been commended before thrusting them at Daniel. He glanced at the pages before putting the notebooks down onto the chest of drawers.
    Charlotte stooped, then, to pick up a packet of coloring pens that were scattered on the floor. As Daniel watched her he noticed the neat position of Sebastian’s slippers by his bedside, and the way that his books were stacked with the largest on the bottom and the smallest on the top.
    “He’s an exceptional boy,” said Charlotte. “In math, he almost never gets