The Last Exile by E V Seymour

Author:E V Seymour [Seymour, E V]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781408906613
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Published: 2012-07-14T22:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER NINETEEN

THEY glared at each other. Histories of confrontation, accusation, lies and argument roared into the forefront of Tallis’s brain. The room was so thick with mutual contempt it felt airless.

“This is completely out of order,” Tallis fumed. “You’re my brother, for Chrissakes. You’re not allowed to interview me.”

They’d taken him to the nearest police station, read him his rights, put him in a holding cell for an hour before dragging him back out again. Dan, whom he hadn’t clapped eyes on in over a year, gloated over every minute of it, just as he’d done when they’d been kids and Tallis had been taking a bollocking from their father. He looked well, Tallis thought, hair thick and shiny, eyes bright, and the pale grey jacket he was wearing fitted snugly and expensively across his broad shoulders. Power obviously suited him.

“So let’s run through this again,” Dan said. “You hit the guy with the meat cleaver, almost severing his arm, and then took his gun and killed his partner. Nice double tap, by the way.”

Tallis said nothing.

“The alternative scenario is that you were in on the robbery. Things got heavy and you decided to take the opportunity to eliminate your rivals and take the money for yourself.”

“Why would I do that?” Tallis said, cold.

“Because you’re a washed-up nobody and need the loot.”

Tallis let out a laugh, the quickest way to antagonise his brother. “What do the waiters say?”

“Haven’t spoken to the witnesses yet.”

Too traumatised, Tallis thought, staring at Dan. Looking back through the history books, Tallis often considered how brother could fight against brother, father against son. The answer was usually found in the cause. In the case of the Balkans, nationalism led to ordinary decent people betraying their neighbours, often when they’d lived alongside them in harmony for many years. But this thing between him and Dan was not about a cause or a difference of religious belief or creed, not even about him taking his brother’s wife. The seeds of hostility had been sown a long time before. When exactly, he couldn’t put a finger on. “I’m allowed a phone call.” One to Cavall, that’s all he wanted. She wouldn’t be able to spring him from this one, more likely to abandon him, but she might know a decent lawyer.

“But we’re still having a chat.”

“I’m not bloody talking to you.”

“Think that’s what you said the last time we met.” Dan smiled, his upper lip curling in contempt.

“Please, don’t tell me that’s what this is all about.” Tallis let out a derisive laugh.

“You flatter yourself.” Dan’s eyes were like stone, reminding Tallis of their father.

“Moved on, have you? Repaired your wounded pride, or still playing victim? Just like you always do.”

Dan’s jaw pulsed with hatred. “Know what you are? You’re a shag-and-run merchant.”

“Still clinging to convenient lies,” Tallis scoffed.

“Always have been. Always will be.”

“I’d rather be accused of that than a wife-beater,” Tallis said, leaning forward, eyes drilling into Dan. “For the benefit of the tape,” Tallis repeated, “Dan Tallis is a wife-beater.

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