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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

‘Oh God, it’ll be Mr Hutchinson,’ I say. ‘He comes in to empty the bins at this time. Can you get rid of him?’

‘Of course I will,’ says Sonia.

She stands up and goes to the door.

‘Who is it?’ she calls.

‘It’s only Amanda. Can I come in?’

I quickly wipe my eyes and try to compose myself while Sonia opens the door.

‘Sorry about that,’ she says as Amanda strides in on a wave of vanilla oil. ‘We thought it might be the creepy landlord.’

‘Well, we won’t have to worry about him any more,’ says Amanda. ‘Did Sonia tell you the good news?’ She doesn’t seem to notice my dishevelled appearance.

‘I haven’t had a chance yet,’ says Sonia.

‘What is it?’ I say.

‘Well,’ says Amanda, coming to sit on the chair next to me. ‘We’ve managed to find you secure accommodation.’

My heart sinks. In my light-headed state I’d thought for one precious moment that Amanda was going to open the door and bring Elspeth in, tell me that this had all been some dreadful mistake.

‘It’s a nice little flat off the Western Road,’ she continues. ‘I’ve just been to see it and I think you’ll love it. There’s a nice bedroom, a big spacious living area and a kitchen with white goods. Everything you need.’

‘Western Road?’ I say, trying to keep up.

‘Yes,’ says Amanda. ‘Really accessible for town and all the amenities. Now, dear, I’ve got the car outside. Why don’t we get packing and we can be in the new place by this afternoon.’

‘That quick?’ I say, feeling overwhelmed by it all. ‘Are you sure?’

‘I don’t think we should hang around here any longer than we need to,’ says Amanda, taking a jumper from the back of the chair and folding it over her arm. ‘Sonia, you grab Maggie’s rucksack and pop these clothes in. I’ll go and get the toiletries from the bathroom.’

I stand impotently in the middle of the room, watching as the two women collect my meagre belongings.

‘Right, we’re all set,’ says Amanda, gesturing to the rucksack and two carrier bags that constitute my worldly goods. ‘Shall we go?’

I take my coat from the bed and as I’m putting it on I notice the ICU diary lying on the bed, among the crumpled sheets. I grab it and put it into my coat pocket.

‘Right,’ says Sonia, guiding me out of the door. ‘Let’s go find your new home.’

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