BooksBarbecue
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

‘Oh, shit. Hang on.’

Fumbling to tie the cord of her dressing gown, Ella hurried to open the door. She forced herself to smile at her unwelcome visitor and put on a convincing show, pretending she was pleased to see her. For a few months they had been no more than casual acquaintances, but since her baby had gone missing, Jessica had been coming round to Ella’s lodgings more and more often. Jessica was so grateful to Ella for allowing her to hold the baby that she offered to pay her to help her out. She said she was doing it as a friend, but Ella knew she was only parting with so much money so that she could come and see the baby. Not for the first time, Ella cursed her own poverty that forced her to accommodate Jessica’s wishes.

‘Jessica, come in, make yourself comfortable. I’ll put the kettle on.’

‘No, please, don’t fuss. There’s no need. I don’t want anything. I just want to hold her,’ Jessica said.

For once, Lily was sleeping peacefully on a blanket on the floor.

‘How is she?’ Jessica asked.

‘She’s all right, but I wish she’d sleep better at night.’ On the point of launching into a rant about being kept awake all night, Ella glanced up and caught sight of Jessica’s expression. Stopping herself in time, she said, ‘She’s fine, really. I’m not complaining. I know how lucky I am to have her. I’m just tired and that makes me irritable. But I couldn’t be happier, really I couldn’t. In fact, I’m very happy with things as they are. So, how have you been? It must be so difficult for you.’

Jessica picked the baby up very gently, and held on to her as though she was never going to let go. Lily stirred in her arms and settled back to sleep as Jessica rocked her from side to side.

‘It’s awful,’ she admitted, with tears streaming down her cheeks.

The baby woke up and began to whimper.

‘Give her here,’ Ella said, ‘she must be hungry. If I don’t feed her soon, she’ll start yelling.’

‘I can do it,’ Jessica said eagerly. ‘Let me feed her.’

‘OK. I’ll go and get her bottle.’ At the door, Ella turned back. ‘It’ll be all right, you know. You just have to be patient and carry on believing that everything will work out. Babies don’t disappear forever.’

Jessica nodded. ‘I don’t know what I would have done without you,’ she said. ‘No one else understands.’

Ella grinned. ‘That’s what friends are for. I’ll go and get that bottle now.’