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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

‘And my memory,’ I say as we walk to the door. ‘You think it’s gone for good, don’t you?’

‘The truth is, I don’t know, Maggie,’ she says. ‘But what I’m trying to do here is help you get back on your feet, try to piece your life together. And who knows, with the medication I’ve prescribed and more stable accommodation, perhaps your memory will return. But you have to remember that it’s not a race, your mind and body have a lot of healing to do.’

I nod my head meekly.

‘Now let’s see how that medication goes,’ she says. ‘Any problems, just come straight back and we’ll reassess. And in the meantime I’ll put in a call to the Social Services team. Does that all sound okay?’

‘Yes,’ I say, trying to be upbeat. ‘It all sounds very sensible.’

‘Good,’ she says, opening the door. ‘Now take care of yourself and remember that breathing exercise.’

‘I’ll try,’ I say as I step out into the waiting room.

‘Good,’ says Julia. ‘And, Maggie, one step at a time, okay?’

I turn to answer but she has closed the door and gone back into her room, the smell of her perfume trailing in her wake. I look down at the prescription in my hands. A year ago if someone had handed me antidepressants I’d have flushed them down the loo. Now, though, I realize that I need them. If I can get rid of this anxiety then I can start to think straight and once my head is clear then I can focus on what needs to be done. If Julia is right, and there is a possibility that my memory is gone for good, then I’ll have to find other ways of getting to the bottom of what happened that night, and the only person who can help me with that is Sean.

As I make my way across the waiting room I make a vow to myself that, no matter what, I am going to find him. But I can’t do it on my own.

25

Three hours later I am standing outside the police station. Sonia has gone home. After collecting my prescription we went into town together to buy a phone and managed to find a cheap model that has internet access. Though we still had to stop several times along the way so that I could take my inhaler, I feel a little of my strength returning. I’m determined to solve this now.