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Chapters (60)
  1. CRITICAL ACCLAIM FOR LEIGH RUSSELL
  2. Glossary of acronyms
  3. Prologue
  4. 1
  5. 2
  6. 3
  7. 4
  8. 5
  9. 6
  10. 7
  11. 8
  12. 9
  13. 10
  14. 11
  15. 12
  16. 13
  17. 14
  18. 15
  19. 16
  20. 17
  21. 18
  22. 19
  23. 20
  24. 21
  25. 22
  26. 23
  27. 24
  28. 25
  29. 26
  30. 27
  31. 28
  32. 29
  33. 30
  34. 31
  35. 32
  36. 33
  37. 34
  38. 35
  39. 36
  40. 37
  41. 38
  42. 39
  43. 40
  44. 41
  45. 42
  46. 43
  47. 44
  48. 45
  49. 46
  50. 47
  51. 48
  52. 49
  53. 50
  54. 51
  55. 52
  56. 53
  57. 54
  58. 55
  59. 56
  60. Acknowledgements

‘Let’s get this over with then,’ Anne said. ‘It might sound callous to you, Sergeant, but right now I’m more concerned to support my daughter than to find out who killed my husband. And I certainly don’t care what happened to Jason. Is that a terrible thing to say? David’s gone and past help. I’ll mourn for him, of course I will. We were married for twenty-six years. You don’t just write that off in a moment. We spent a long time together. But Jessica needs me right now and I can’t afford to go to pieces. As for her husband, he was never much of a support to her. I’m sorry he’s dead, of course, but I can’t sit here and tell you I’m sorry he’s out of her life.’

‘What do you mean?’

‘I mean that he only ever thinks – thought about himself. He’s – he was a bully and a – well, let’s just say he was a thoroughly nasty piece of work. She made a big mistake the day she married him. I wouldn’t be surprised –’ she broke off and dabbed at her nose with a tissue.

‘What wouldn’t surprise you?’ Geraldine asked.

Anne glanced at the door and spoke hurriedly. ‘I wouldn’t be at all surprised to discover he took the baby away himself, just to spite her. I wouldn’t put it past him, that’s all I’m saying.’

‘But what would prompt him to do that?’

Anne shrugged. ‘To get back at her. I’m telling you, he’s a nasty piece of work.’

Jessica came back carrying two mugs of tea. She gave one to her mother and kept the other for herself. Evidently Geraldine wasn’t considered deserving of tea.

‘Was your marriage happy, on the whole?’ Geraldine asked her outright.

Jessica gaped and almost spilt her tea. She put her mug down carefully on the table before answering. Geraldine was aware she was considering what to say. Without answering the question, she turned to her mother.

‘What have you been saying?’ she demanded furiously. She turned back to Geraldine. ‘My parents never liked Jason. They thought he wasn’t good enough for me. But honestly, no one would have been good enough for them. Jason and I were happy enough, thank you. Don’t believe a word my mother has been saying about him.’

Jessica seemed to have forgotten about her own attack on Jason. Now she burst into tears. With both Jessica and Anne in tears, Geraldine left. There was no point in pressing either of them for answers, although she had an uneasy feeling that she had somehow been hoodwinked, as though Jessica and Anne were both deliberately hiding behind Daisy’s disappearance to avoid talking about their murdered husbands. But it was impossible to judge whether they were sidestepping the subject from grief or guilt.

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