Nick lowered his eyebrows. “What? I didn’t do this.”
“Nobody else could have,” Annaliese said. “Every one of us was together in the restaurant. You left, and then five minutes later Dave went right after you. We all came when we heard the screams.”
Nick looked at Eve for help, but she just looked back at him, confused.
“I didn’t do this,” he shouted at them all.
“We need to lock him up,” said Shawcross. “Until we decide what to do with him.”
To his utter disbelief, Jan and Alan came forward to grab a hold of him. He shoved them away, swinging his fists and kicking his legs. “Get the fuck away from me. I didn’t do this.”
He managed to land a punch on Alan’s cheek, but became aware of Shawcross approaching from his side. It was too late to react when the man took a swing at him, clubbing him under the chin in the exact reverse of what had happened earlier in the day.
The force of the blow made it obvious that Shawcross had hit with something harder than just his fist. The blow was so fierce that, by the time Nick fell to the ground, he was already unconscious.
Chapter Thirty-Four
Nick couldn’t open his eyes immediately. He had to flutter them for a few seconds before he could see properly. His head hurt badly, specifically his jaw. He tried to open his mouth but found the pain too much.
“I’d try not to speak if I were you,” Jan said. He was sitting in a wooden chair against the wall. Renee was right beside him. Candles lit the corners of the room.
Nick looked around and saw that he was in the cellar of the restaurant. The prison. It was musky and damp and a chill crept in through a steel hatchway at the back of the room, up a small flight of stairs.
“What am I…?” Nick winced as the pain exploded in his jaw, but fought past it. “What am I doing here?”
“I think you know,” said Jan. “You did a stupid thing, brother.”
Nick rubbed at his jaw and cleared a wad of phlegm from his throat. He had to think for a second before he was fully caught up on the situation he had just woken up into. “Dave…? I had nothing to do with that.”
Jan huffed. “Really? How much chance do you think there is of that plea being accepted? We were all together in the restaurant; everyone except for Dave and you.”
Nick sighed and let his head drop. “I can’t explain it, but it’s true.
“Look,” said Jan. “I hope there is another explanation. You seemed like an alright guy up until this point but, if you did kill Dave, then you deserve everything you get.”
Nick spat on the floor and began laughing. He was already tired of being accused of something he didn’t do. “Am I really being judged by a bank robber?”
Jan smiled. “Attempted bank robber. I never was any good at it. It’s a whole lot different than murder, anyway. I may have been guilty of a lot of things, but you’ve committed a mortal sin.”
Nick hissed. “Just fuck off, Jan. I can do without your bullshit. I’m innocent.”
Jan stood up, his tall frame stretching almost to the low ceilings of the dim cellar. “Like I said, I hope that’s true, brother. Perhaps time will tell.”
“I’ll be ready and waiting for your apology,” said Nick. I was big enough to give you one when I judged you wrong.”
Jan nodded, but didn’t say anything. At the stairs leading upwards he turned back and looked at Renee. “You coming, brother?”
Renee shook his head.
Jan shrugged. “Fair enough. Come find me when you’re done. Wouldn’t feel right without you following me around everywhere.”
Renee nodded to Jan and then let his gaze fall on Nick.
Jan left the room.
“So, what the hell do you want?” Nick demanded of Renee. “It’s not like you’re here for the conversation. You don’t even talk.”
“Don’t talk is not the same as can’t talk, Nick.”