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Back Deadly Revenge
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

‘I thought you were an item these days?’

Doing her best to hide her irritation, Geraldine laughed. ‘I don’t know what gave you that idea.’

Ariadne sniffed and looked decidedly put out, and Geraldine turned away to hide her confusion. She was aware that she and Ian could not delay much longer before speaking to Eileen to explain their new relationship. But it was a long time since she had been romantically involved with anyone, and she was afraid of doing anything that might disturb their private happiness.

‘You can tell me to mind my own business if you like, but don’t lie to me,’ Ariadne said.

‘I thought I was telling you to mind your own business,’ Geraldine replied quietly. ‘Look, whatever’s going on between Ian and me is just that, between Ian and me. If there is anything going on, and I’m not saying there is, then we’re not ready to talk about it with anyone else yet. I don’t want to fall out with you, so can we please leave it at that?’

By the time they reached their desks, a slight awkwardness had arisen between them. Geraldine regretted her brusque response to Ariadne’s questions, and decided to approach her friend at the next opportunity and try to explain her reluctance to talk about her private life although she was not sure she understood her own attitude herself. Before agreeing to Ian moving in with her, Geraldine had insisted they remain discreet about their new relationship.

‘You know how people gossip,’ she had said. ‘We have to remain strictly professional in our relations at work. Once we get back home, it’s different, but at work, we need to continue as before.’

‘You know we ought to tell the DCI,’ Ian had replied.

‘What we do outside of work is no one else’s business.’

Ian had not been as concerned as she was to keep their relationship quiet, but he had accepted Geraldine’s conditions cheerfully enough, and they settled easily into their new way of life. Still, Geraldine knew that they would not be able to keep their affair to themselves for long, and Ariadne’s curiosity made it clear that their colleagues were already growing curious.

3

Ariadne gave Geraldine a sympathetic smile when she announced that she was going to the mortuary to view the body that had been retrieved from the river that morning.

‘Have fun,’ Ariadne called out to her as she stood up.