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Back Day of the Accident
Chapters (71)
  1. Cover
  2. About the Author
  3. Dedication
  4. What readers are saying about
  5. Epigraph
  6. Prologue
  7. Part One
  8. 1
  9. 2
  10. 3
  11. 4
  12. 5
  13. 6
  14. 7
  15. 8
  16. 9
  17. 10
  18. 11
  19. 12
  20. 13
  21. 14
  22. 15
  23. 16
  24. 17
  25. 18
  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. Part Two
  41. 33
  42. 34
  43. 35
  44. 36
  45. 37
  46. 38
  47. 39
  48. 40
  49. 41
  50. 42
  51. 43
  52. 44
  53. 45
  54. 46
  55. 47
  56. 48
  57. 49
  58. 50
  59. 51
  60. Part Three
  61. 52
  62. 53
  63. 54
  64. 55
  65. 56
  66. 57
  67. 58
  68. Epilogue
  69. Acknowledgements
  70. THE NEXT THRILLER BY NUALA ELLWOOD
  71. THE BEGINNING

The colour drains from her face so that she becomes as pale as her attire. She tries to shut the door, but I put my foot in the way.

‘What are you doing?’ she cries as I step past her. ‘You can’t just barge in here like this.’

‘Like you barged into my life?’ I hiss, spinning on my heels to face her. ‘Like you appeared at the scene of the accident and then ran away, leaving my daughter to drown? I know you were there that night, Barbara, so perhaps now you can stop lying to me.’

She goes to speak and then her eyes widen, like she’s seen a ghost.

‘Barbara,’ says a voice from behind me. ‘Is everything all right?’

I turn round and see a tall, familiar figure walking down the hallway towards us.

‘Julia?’ I gasp. ‘What … are you doing here?’

‘That’s none of your business, Margaret,’ Barbara hisses behind me.

I look at Julia. She folds her arms across her chest defensively.

‘What is going on?’ I say, looking from one to the other. ‘Why are you here?’

‘I was here to discuss some work that needs doing on the house,’ says Julia, but she’s avoiding eye contact.

‘On Larkfields?’ I exclaim. ‘What’s that got to do with Barbara?’

‘She’s my … well, my landlady, I guess,’ says Julia.

‘Your what?’ I cry, turning to face Barbara. ‘What’s she talking about?’

‘I’m afraid it’s true,’ says Barbara, a sick smile appearing on her face. ‘Julia is my tenant. I really never intended for you to find out like this, Margaret, but as you’ve barged in here throwing accusations at me you’ve left me no choice.’

‘Your tenant?’ I repeat incredulously. ‘You mean you –’

‘Own Larkfields,’ says Barbara. ‘That’s correct, I do.’

I stand for a moment, unable to move, the smell of flowery air freshener clogging my lungs.

‘Listen, I should go,’ says Julia awkwardly. ‘You two have a lot to discuss.’

‘No,’ I cry, running after her as she makes her way to the door. ‘You can’t just go like that. I want to talk to you.’

‘I’m sorry,’ says Julia, her face flushing. ‘I really do have to go. I’m due at the surgery.’

She glances at Barbara and something passes between them.

‘I’ll see you out, dear.’

I watch as Barbara opens the door and ushers Julia out. Closing it behind her, she turns to me with a grave expression.

‘I think we should go to the kitchen,’ she says. ‘I don’t know about you but I need a drink.’