Extradited Read Free Page A

handcuffed hands. I hoped the answer would be ‘not very long’, naively believing that they would take me in for a few questions and release me. I had nothing to do with the crime – to take it any further would be ridiculous.
    ‘You’ll be there all night.’
    It felt as though my heart was drooping lower and lower into my body. I could hear my mum on the phone to the solicitor. She passed the handset to me and I held it with my cuffed hands against the side of my head. ‘Remember, Andrew, don’t say anything!’ he said.
    Not saying anything made no sense to me. I had nothing to hide and desperately wanted to tell them exactly what had happened to Chris and Charlie at the police station in Zante. I couldn’t see what would be so wrong with telling them what had happened.
    I asked Sophie to take my mobile phone out of my pocket. ‘When Riya calls, explain what’s happened – OK?’ My then girlfriend had no idea what was going on.
    The officers escorted me to the Ford Mondeo that was parked on our driveway. They allowed me to put a jumper over the handcuffs so the neighbours wouldn’t know what was going on. Allfive of us squeezed in, and I was put in the middle seat in the back. I didn’t say a word. I blanked out all of my surroundings. I was numb, my mind was empty and my heart continued to sink deeper into my stomach.
    ‘You know, the father of the boy who died has really been pushing for this,’ the officer driving said.
    ‘I would do exactly the same thing,’ I managed to say without choking up.
    ‘They gave your friends a hard time over in Greece, didn’t they … the police?’ another officer asked.
    ‘Yep.’
    Following that comment, we sat in silence as we made our way to Edmonton Police Station.
    It was my first time in a police station. I stood intimidated as they took mug shots, scanned my fingerprints and sampled my DNA before putting me in a holding cell. ‘You’ll go to Westminster Magistrates’ Court tomorrow morning, we’ll wake you up at 7 a.m.,’ said a female officer before the heavy metal door thudded on impact. She turned the key and forced the lock into place – I instantly buried my face in my hands and filled them with warm tears. I held a copy of the European Arrest Warrant in my hands that the officer had given to me. ‘ Murder, maximum twenty years .’ Those were the only words I could see out of the whole document. I repeatedly read them and tormented myself, unable to prevent the streams of tears running down my cheeks. I just had to be patient, calm down, think as positively as possible and attempt to rest.
    I lay down on the blue gym mat. My eyes flickered between the light brown painted ceiling and dark brown tiled walls. It felt like hours had passed. I closed my eyes, allowing my exhausted mind to run free. Somehow I managed to drift off to sleep. That night, for the first time, I dreamed of my friend Michael.

3
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SQUASH AND ROLL
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    T he heavy metal door swung open. I opened my eyes, disorientated and in a state of confusion. Still wearing the same clothes as the day before, I looked into the eyes of the female police officer. My mouth was dry and I could taste that my breath may have had an unhygienic whiff.
    ‘It’s 7 a.m. Come on, you’re leaving for court now.’
    The reality came flooding back and I was struck with overwhelming nerves. She escorted me to the front of the police station in handcuffs.
    ‘So, are they sending you back to Greece?’ she asked.
    ‘I hope not,’ I replied as she guided me into the Serco police van. They sat me down at the end of the vehicle and removed my handcuffs. I was locked in an isolated box, enclosed within white plastic walls and with little space to move. They shut the door behind them, leaving me with a small window and tiny holes to look through. I peered outside and watched the streets of London pass me by. I saw people living out their typical weekday mornings – some waiting at bus stops, others