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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

‘I’m saying, Mother, that I wanted to get you back for everything you’d put me through,’ she says, her face inches from mine. ‘I wanted to play with your head the way you played with my life and I wanted you to feel like you had no other option but to …’

She stops then to catch her breath.

‘No option but to what, Julia?’ I say, my voice shaking.

She looks up at me and smiles and warmth filters through me because it’s Elspeth’s face and I just want to get out of this damned chair and hug her. But then her expression changes. Her eyes glaze and her lip curls. She leans in to me and whispers in my ear.

‘No option but to die. I wanted you to die.’

55

Barbara stands up and pours herself another large brandy. Her hair has come undone and her mascara has smudged. I watch as she haltingly makes her way back to the top of the table.

‘Barbara, please. Let me go,’ I say as she takes a large glug of brandy. ‘Whatever I might have done, however much both of you think I deserve this, you can’t just keep me here. Sonia will come.’

‘Sonia thinks you’re dead,’ says Julia, rolling her eyes. ‘You left her a suicide note, remember?’

I do remember. I also know that my phone is in my back pocket. With my hands tied there is no way I can get to it to make a call.

‘Please,’ I beg her. ‘Just stop it. This isn’t you. You’re not evil.’

‘How do you know?’ she says indignantly. ‘You know nothing about me.’

‘I’ve spent enough time around you to know that you’re a good person, Julia,’ I say. ‘That you have a heart. You’re not a killer. You’re a hurt and scared little girl.’

When I say this her face turns red and she jumps to her feet and comes at me.

‘Don’t you dare call me that,’ she yells, waving the knife in my face. I can almost feel its cruel cut. ‘I used to be a hurt and scared little girl but I’ve grown up now. You had every chance to be my mother, every chance, and you just chose to act like I didn’t exist.’

‘That’s not true,’ I cry, tears blurring my eyes. ‘I loved you. I loved you so much. I never stopped. The thought of you and everything you could be haunted me for years. I tried to talk about you but my parents told me to move on, to forget you, but I couldn’t, I wouldn’t.’

‘You’re lying.’