Page 115 of Hold On

“Your brother. The truth.”

Dominic jerked when Miran snapped something in Turkish.

“You still in the café?”

“Yes. What about Canonbury Square Gardens? I’ll be carrying a bike helmet. I have a friend with me.”

“I’ll talk to you, not your friend. Thirty minutes.”

Dominic put down the phone.

“Okay,” Ren said. “I need the loo.”

Dominic followed a minute later and saw Ren just finishing a call. He said nothing until they were out of the café.

“Who were you calling?”

“A colleague.”

“The police?” Dominic whispered.

“We need cover, just in case.”

In case of what?

Dominic found a bench to sit on and put his helmet beside him. He couldn’t see Ren but he knew he was watching. He tried not to fidget but it was difficult. Every time someone approached, he wondered if it was Kilic. He’d been at the trial but Dominic had kept his face down most of the time, stunned in disbelief at what was happening. Still, he thought he’d recognise him.

When a guy in a suit settled at the other end of the bench, Dominic knew it was him. Stocky with dark curly hair, black eyes and a look of hostility.

“Well?” the guy said. “What truth did you want to tell me?”

“There were a lot of lies told at the trial.”

“You didn’t kill my brother?” He gave a mocking laugh.

“He died when the knife he’d brought to my cell ended up in his femoral artery. But it was an accident.”

“He’s still dead because of you.”

Dominic curled his toes in his boots. “The knife wasn’t mine. It was Adem’s. The prison officer lied. Prisoners lied. Adem had approached me about moving into his cell. He wanted… He wanted me to sleep with him. I said no. He didn’t like that answer. He came to my cell to persuade me to change my mind, to tell me he’d protect me if I did what he wanted. I refused and he attacked me. I think he just wanted to frighten me, teach me a lesson. All I did was defend myself. If that knife had hit him in a different place, he’d still be alive. It was bad luck for both of us. But I ended up spending another ten years in prison for a murder I didn’t commit.”

“I know.”

Dominic reeled in shock. “Then why did I get blamed?”

“Because you killed him. I know you didn’t mean to, but Adem is dead by your hand. I lost my brother. I know the guard lied. I paid him to. I know the prisoners lied. My brother wasn’t a fucking poofter.”

Dominic opened and closed his mouth. He saw the sense in not arguing the opposite.

“He was lonely and he was frightened,” Kilic said. “I did everything I could to stop him going down but… So once he was inside, I asked for names of guys who could help him. I was given your name. You were supposed to be good for him. Look after him. Make him look strong. You were clever. Stayed out of trouble. I thought you’d be an older brother to him.” He glared at Dominic. “It would have been easy for you. Instead, you killed him.”

Dominic sucked in his cheeks. “You do know what I was convicted of, right? My parents sexually abused me for six years. You think I was going to letanyonetouch me?”

“You were clever. You worked hard. Passed exams. Kept yourself out of trouble. He wouldn’t have touched you. He just needed it to look as though he was.”

It was possible, though Dominic doubted it. Kilic just wanted to believe his brother wasn’t gay. “Then it would have been a damn sight easier if someone had told me.”

Kilic sat back on the bench. “Maybe you’re right.”

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