Chapters (50)
- Title Page
- Copyright Page
- Dedication Page
- Contents
- One
- Two
- Three
- Four
- Five
- Six
- Seven
- Eight
- Nine
- Ten
- Eleven
- Twelve
- Thirteen
- Fourteen
- Fifteen
- Sixteen
- Seventeen
- Eighteen
- Ninteen
- Twenty
- Twenty-one
- Twenty-two
- Twenty-three
- Twenty-four
- Twenty-five
- Twenty-six
- Twenty-seven
- Twenty-eight
- Twenty-nine
- Thirty
- Thirty-one
- Thirty-two
- Thirty-three
- Thirty-four
- Thirty-five
- Thirty-six
- Thirty-seven
- Thirty-eight
- Thirty-nine
- Forty
- Forty-one
- Forty-two
- Epilogue
- Letter From the Author
- Acknowledgements
- About the Author
‘Of course not. I was upset, angry. I wanted to scare him. Because I knew, from that moment, that he’d get away with it. He’d had his fun, got to fuck a young girl from work, and would now walk away unscathed.’
‘And that’s when he attacked you?’
She shook her head. ‘Not at that moment. He told me to get dressed. I went into the bathroom, suddenly didn’t want him to see my body, certainly didn’t want to look at his shrivelled old cock. I stood in the hotel bathroom and cried. I was in there for ages, hoping he’d go before I came out.’ She looked at me. ‘I loved him, Andrew. I know it was stupid, that I should have known the rules. And I did feel terrible for his wife. I still do. But I couldn’t help the way I felt about him.’
‘I understand.’
‘When I came out of the bathroom, he was still there. That was when it happened. He grabbed me by the throat, like this.’ She mimed him squeezing her neck, fingers pressed hard against the underside of her jaw. ‘He pushed me against the wall. He said if I went near his wife, he would kill me. He told me he knew people who could dispose of bodies. He said he could buy anything, any service.’
‘Did you tell the police about this?’ I asked. I felt more sober now, her story a slap round the face.
‘No.’
‘Oh, Sasha. Why not?’
‘What’s the point? There’s no evidence. It’s just my word against his.’
‘I know. But you still have to tell them.’
She pouted. ‘In case he does it to someone else?’
‘Exactly. Please, Sash.’
Very reluctantly, she nodded.
‘Let’s do it now.’
‘But it’s nearly eleven.’
‘I know. But the police are there all night. Come on. Where’s your phone?’
I called the police station for her, before she could protest any more, and once I’d been put through I handed the phone to her. I listened to her explain everything to the police officer on the other end.
‘They said they’ll send someone round to talk to me first thing tomorrow. Now, I need to go to bed.’
‘OK.’ I stood up too, waited for her to leave the room, but she didn’t move. ‘What is it?’
‘Will you sleep in my bed?’
‘Sasha, I—’
‘I don’t mean sex, stupid. I just – don’t want to be alone. Is that OK?’
She took hold of my hands in hers.
‘Come on then,’ I said.
