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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

‘It means: “Do I really have to go through the motions of telling you how wonderful this all is, and how you are the most beautiful woman in the world, and I’m the luckiest man in the world to be here with you,” and so on and so on. I went through all that bullshit with my wife and look where that got me. You know how I feel about you, and if you don’t then you’re not the brilliant, intelligent, sensitive woman I’m in love with, and this is all a mistake.’

He leaned over and kissed her on the nose and she laughed.

‘I’ll settle for that,’ she said.

‘What? A peck on the nose?’

‘For you saying you’re in love with me.’

They smiled at one another, a comfortable, affectionate smile.

‘All I’m saying is that living like this in two places is driving me nuts,’ he said. ‘Apart from anything else, the parking is terrible.’

It was true; he was rarely able to park close by. Geraldine had a reserved space in the underground car park beneath the block of flats where she lived, but Ian had to cruise around looking for a space on the street, and it wasn’t always easy to find one. She felt guilty about refusing to drive him to the police station where they both worked, he as a detective inspector, she as a detective sergeant, but she wasn’t ready to announce their relationship to their colleagues. Not yet. She was still wondering whether it was unfair of her to insist they keep their relationship a secret when she left for work the next morning. But at least Ian had his own flat to go to. Her thoughts strayed to the young man who had been thrown out by his mother, and was now losing his place in a homeless shelter thanks to council cutbacks.

2

2

She recoiled, shocked into silence.

‘Well?’ he demanded, taking a step towards her, his fists clenched but not yet raised. ‘Well?’

On his lips the innocuous word sounded charged with malevolent power, forcing her to edge away until she felt the wall pressing against her back.

‘Well? Have you lost your tongue, you stupid bitch?’

‘I’m – I’m sorry,’ she stammered. ‘I didn’t mean…’

‘You didn’t mean, you didn’t mean,’ he sneered.

His fists rose and she winced, waiting for him to hit her. Instead, he spat in her face with such violence she felt the impact of the saliva as it struck her cheek, warm for an instant, then cooling as it dribbled down her face towards her jaw bone. She didn’t dare move.

‘Well?’ he repeated. ‘How long are you going to stand there staring at me like an idiot?’

She shook her head. Her tears mingled with his saliva as her trembling fingers reached up to wipe her cheek.