The Silent Suspect

for a moment, he’d signed, and I’d laughed, happy to indulge him.
Do you want me to gaze into your eyes? I asked.
He sat back and pressed his lips together as if he was thinking, then gave a little nod. I’ve been thinking a lot recently, about you. About us.
I’m glad you think about me, I replied, but he held up a hand and shook his head.
Let me finish, please, he asked, and I could see from his eyes how anxious he was feeling. My heart thudded – what was wrong? Was he breaking up with me?
Max paused and looked down at the table for a moment, choosing his words, and I sat back a little in my seat. I should have known it was too good to be true, I’d thought. If this was the end of our relationship, I would be sad, but maybe not surprised that our relationship had run its course.
He’d looked so nervous I had almost interrupted him to put him out of his misery, but I thought it was only fair to hear him out.
It’s okay, I signed to him, giving him a small smile. Tell me whatever it is you want to tell me.
Will you move in with me?
And now I was frozen. There was a long pause as I took it in, and I tried to force my train of thought onto a completely different track. Where had this come from? Was it a whim, or had he been building up to asking me for a while? Thinking back, I couldn’t recall any signs that he wanted to move our relationship forward. He’d given me a key to his flat recently, but I thought that was just to make things more convenient, not so I could start moving my stuff in. Had I been completely naive? I tried to picture it – living in Max’s flat with him – but I just couldn’t conjure the image.
I was trying to think of a reply when my phone rang, and I seized the interruption like a life raft. The name that popped up on the screen wasn’t one I was expecting – Lukas Nowak, one of Sasha’s clients. Sasha had asked me to interpret for him at his regular meetings with the addiction support team, so I’d met him quite a few times. He was one of those small men who compensated for their size with an excess of charming personality, and I got the feeling his counsellor looked forward to the banter in their weekly meetings. But why was he calling me on a Tuesday evening?
I’m sorry, I need to take this, I told Max, trying to ignore his look of irritation. I got up and moved away from where we’d been sitting, into the entrance of the restaurant.
As soon as I answered the video call, I could see something was wrong. Lukas looked frantic and his signing was shaky and erratic. He was outside somewhere – I could see streetlights and a couple of parked cars in the background, and he was obviously moving.
Lukas, stay still, I signed. I can’t understand you.
He stopped moving and the picture became a little clearer. Paige, I need your help. Call 999 for me, please.
What’s happened? I asked. Don’t you have the emergency text number?
I haven’t set it up. Please, Paige! My house is on fire, and I don’t know where Nadia is! She might be inside!
My screen went blank as Lukas hung up. I tried to process what he’d just told me, and quickly called the fire brigade and gave them his address, before trying to call Lukas back. No answer.
Looking back through the glass door into the bar I saw Max watching me. The restaurant was only a few minutes from Lukas’s house – I couldn’t not help. I knew Max would be cross, but I couldn’t stay there, not when I knew one of Sasha’s clients was in trouble. She was in Birmingham for a three-day training course and wouldn’t be back until tomorrow, and Lukas would need someone to interpret for him with the emergency services.
I went back through to the bar, and my heart sank at the look of nervous anticipation on Max’s face.
I’m really sorry, it’s an emergency. I have to go.
Seriously? Paige, it’s my birthday.
I know, but this can’t wait. I’ll call you as soon as I get a chance.
Max looked like he didn’t believe me, but I didn’t have time to explain or argue, so I picked up my bag and left.
The heat from the blaze took my breath away and I took a couple of steps back. I hadn’t expected the fire to be this bad – whatever I had been picturing in my mind, it had been minor. What I saw before me was so much worse than I had envisioned, and fear gripped my heart as I tried to get closer to the house. There was no sign of Lukas on the street outside, or in the alleyway between this and the neighbouring house. He’d been here when he called me, so where had he gone? I hoped he’d gone to a neighbour for help, and hadn’t done anything stupid.
I dashed up the path and put my hand on the front door, but pulled it away again sharply. The paint was starting to blister, it was so hot, and I knew I couldn’t risk opening it. Moving sideways, I tried to look through the window at the front of the house, to see if anyone was inside, but all I could see was the flickering of the flames through a sea of dark smoke.
Shouting would do no good, even if the people in the house could hear. I hadn’t realised a fire would be so noisy – there was a low roar from the fire itself, as well as a myriad cracking and thumping sounds as items inside the house were engulfed by it.
I stepped back from the front of the house and looked upwards, searching