a silver fountain pen. ‘Then let’s proceed.’
‘This is a case of conspiracy to murder,’ said Kerry. ‘The prosecution say that the defendant went with Artan Shala to Manor Park Preparatory School, each with a firearm. The intention of both parties was to kill pupils at that school. They were unfortunately successful in their plan, fatally shooting Charles Stanton before Ms Duraku was disarmed and Shala shot dead by a police officer at the scene.’
‘I gave the policeman the gun before Artan shot the boy,’ said Anna.
Mrs Holmes frowned at Lilly. ‘Miss Valentine, you must keep your client in check. This is not a free-for-all.’
‘I’m sorry, Madam, but what my client says is true. She voluntarily handed her weapon to Officer McNally some time before Artan was killed. There is no question that he acted alone.’
Mrs Holmes nodded. ‘That is for another tribunal to consider. Today I simply intend to transfer this case to the Crown Court. Nothing more.’
‘What about an application for bail, Madam?’ said Lilly.
Mrs Holmes replaced the top on her pen before laying it gently but deliberately on the pad before her. ‘Do you intend to make one, Miss Valentine?’
Lilly thrust up her chin. ‘Indeed I do.’
The magistrate opened her arms.
‘I realise, Madam, that this is a serious matter and wouldn’t normally attract bail, but this case is unusual in any number of ways,’ said Lilly.
‘Go on,’ said Mrs Holmes.
‘You may deny bail, Madam, if you believe my client is likely to re-offend.’
‘Indeed I may,’ said Mrs Holmes.
‘Which is why I know you’ll have worked out that re-offending in this case is impossible,’ said Lilly ‘Anna is charged with a conspiracy with someone who is now dead. They could hardly plot anything else together, Madam.’
Mrs Holmes bit her lip. ‘And what about the possibility that Anna might abscond?’
Lilly gave her best theatrical shrug. ‘Where would she go? She has no living family and few friends. The Hounds Place hostel is her only lifeline.’
Mrs Holmes breathed evenly, clearly thinking things through.
‘Who would supervise her at the hostel?’
‘There are social workers on duty, Madam, and Milo Hassan visits every day’
Mrs Holmes shook her head. ‘There’s insufficient continuity for my liking. One person needs to be in charge.’
Lilly looked over at Anna. Every molecule of her being looked terrified, and Lilly was consumed with guilt. If she had stepped in to prevent Artan taking the law into his own hands, Anna wouldn’t be here now.
‘She can stay with me,’ said Lilly.
Everyone stared.
Lilly gulped. She’d surprised herself as much as anyone else.
‘Stay with you?’ Mrs Holmes repeated.
‘Yes,’ said Lilly. ‘I will undertake to the court to supervise her in my home.’
‘That’s a huge commitment, Miss Valentine.’
Lilly gulped. It was huge. Bloody huge. Lilly pushed the implications to the back of her mind and nodded.
As they left court in Lilly’s car, Milo rubbed Anna’s shoulders. ‘It’s over.’
Lilly didn’t speak but an old quote came into her head.
‘This isn’t the end. It’s not even the beginning of the end.’
‘Tell me this is a joke,’ said Jack.
‘Am I laughing?’ said Lilly. She stared out at the field beyond her kitchen window. The earth was brown and hard. The harvest had been and gone and nothing would grow until spring.
‘You can’t have her living here,’ he said.
‘The court says I can.’
He groaned. ‘It’s madness.’
And of course it was. Sheer madness. Sam would hit the roof; David would apply to have her sectioned; and Rupes…Lilly shuddered at the very thought.
‘I can’t let them send her to prison.’
‘But we’re both involved in this case,’ he said. ‘Me in particular.’
Lilly felt a stab of guilt as to how much harder this would make things for Jack.
‘She’s just a kid,’ she said.
He shook her gently by the shoulders. ‘It’s not your responsibility.’
‘Then whose is it, Jack? ’Cos so far the “authorities”’, she made speech marks in the air, ‘have done a pretty piss-poor job of looking after her.’ She rubbed his lapel. ‘I owe her.’
‘For what?’
‘For not doing something before she got dragged into this unholy mess.’
At that moment Milo waltzed in and dumped a binbag of clothes on the floor. ‘I’ll bring the rest of her things later.’
Jack, eyes wide, watched him leave the room. ‘Is that what’s-his-name?’
‘Milo,’ she said.
‘He seems at home.’
Lilly sniffed. ‘I’ve barely spoken to him.’
Milo stuck his head back into the room. ‘Dishwasher still working okay?’
Jack looked from Lilly to Milo and back again. Lilly opened her mouth to explain.
‘Don’t tell me you’ve finally got that dishwasher to work?’
It was David, carrying Sam on his back. He looked from Lilly to Jack to Milo and back again.
‘Welcome to Piccadilly bloody Circus,’ said Jack, and pushed his way out.
Lilly poured two glasses of Sauvignon Blanc and handed one to David.
‘You look knackered,’ said Lilly.
‘Fleur’s got colic.’
‘Isn’t she too old for that?’
David took a sip. ‘I think she just likes crying.’
‘She’s a baby, that’s her job,’ said Lilly.
‘I don’t remember Sam being like that.’
Lilly laughed. Of course he bloody was. You just didn’t notice ‘cos I did all the dirty work.’
David opened his mouth to argue but stopped. ‘You were always much better at sorting things out than me. You never seemed to mind the noise and the mess.’
‘I thrive on a challenge.’
‘I do wonder if you don’t just love chaos,’ he said.
‘Don’t be stupid.’
‘Look at the facts, Lil: things were going well with you and Jack, so what do you do? Move a Bosnian refugee into the house.’
‘Kosovan. And, anyway, it won’t be for long. Once I can show the court she’s not going to try to leg it I’ll get her moved back to the hostel.’
‘Sam’s not a happy bunny,’ said David.
Lilly forced a smile. ‘He’ll be fine.’
‘He loves having you to himself,’ said David. ‘He hated sharing you with all those kids in care.’
‘He shares you with Cara and Fleur.’