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Back Brutal Save as PDF
Chapters (56)
  1. Cover
  2. BRUTAL
  3. Dedication page
  4. Acknowledgements
  5. Prologue
  6. PART ONE
  7. 1
  8. 2
  9. 3
  10. 4
  11. 5
  12. 6
  13. 7
  14. 8
  15. 9
  16. 10
  17. 11
  18. 12
  19. 13
  20. 14
  21. 15
  22. 16
  23. 17
  24. 18
  25. PART TWO
  26. 19
  27. 20
  28. 21
  29. 22
  30. 23
  31. 24
  32. 25
  33. 26
  34. 27
  35. 28
  36. 29
  37. 30
  38. 31
  39. 32
  40. 33
  41. 34
  42. 35
  43. 36
  44. 37
  45. 38
  46. 39
  47. 40
  48. 41
  49. PART THREE
  50. 42
  51. 43
  52. 44
  53. 45
  54. Epilogue
  55. BRUTAL
  56. By Mandasue Heller

‘She was on her own, and I only took it out as a precaution,’ Frank said, wondering why she always jumped to the worst-case scenario. ‘And I told Yvonne she was my niece because I didn’t want her getting hold of the wrong end of the stick and spreading silly gossip around the village.’

‘Well, I hope you’ve sent her on her way?’ Jo asked. ‘It’s all very well being a good Samaritan, but you’re not fit enough to be taking in waifs and strays.’

‘She’s gone,’ Frank lied. ‘I dropped her at the station ten minutes ago.’

‘Good.’ Jo sounded slightly mollified. ‘Are you on your way home now?’

‘I will be soon as I’ve done a bit of shopping,’ said Frank. Then, changing the subject, he said, ‘Oh, I meant to tell you, I popped round to your place to fix the boiler yesterday. Evan rang and said the letting agent told him it was on the blink.’

‘Did you fix it?’

‘Yeah, it only needed refilling and relighting.’

‘I wish you hadn’t,’ Jo grumbled. ‘The cheeky buggers have been living there for months, and we haven’t had a single penny off them yet.’

‘That’s not good,’ Frank said, climbing out of the car and locking the door. ‘Do you want me to call the letting agent and find out what’s going on?’

‘No, it’s OK.’ Jo sighed. ‘I sent him a message yesterday and told him he’s got till the end of the month to sort it or I’ll let someone else handle it. If I have to evict them, will you go round and make sure they don’t take anything of ours?’

‘Of course,’ Frank agreed. ‘And I’m sure Evan would come with me to add a bit of muscle.’

‘Thanks, Dad,’ Jo said gratefully. Then, at the sound of her daughter calling out to her in the background, she said, ‘Sorry, I’ve got to go. We’re taking Emily to choose a dog from the rescue centre, and she’s really excited.’

‘You’re getting a dog?’ Frank asked, but Jo had already gone.

In the shop, he thought about the implications of Jo getting a dog as he made his way around the aisles. It seemed odd that she’d take on that kind of responsibility if she was only going to be in Australia for another eighteen months or so. Or had they already decided they weren’t coming back, and she was waiting until nearer the time to break the news to him?

Saddened by the thought that they might never come back, he paid for his items and drove home.

6

Irena was asleep on the sofa, but she woke with a start when the front door opened.

‘Oh, Frankie, thank God is you!’ she gasped when he popped his head into the room. ‘I was scared is Nikolai.’