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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

Hoping Jessica would not find it odd that a man would smoke while fixing an oven, Ella avoided glancing at the half-smoked cigarette lying on a dirty saucer beside her armchair. It was lucky she didn’t wear lipstick. That would have been a dead giveaway. As soon as Jessica turned her attention to the baby, Ella reached down and slid the makeshift ashtray under her chair. With a silent sigh of relief, she leaned back in her chair. Jessica was not looking at anything but the little girl lying contentedly in her arms. An elephant could have been sitting on the sofa without her noticing.

‘So,’ Ella said, ‘how have you been?’

‘Terrible,’ Jessica admitted. ‘This is just awful. I miss her so much. It’s like a constant ache in my guts.’

‘I can’t begin to imagine how horrible it must be, but I’m sure it’ll all get sorted and she’ll be back with you soon.’

‘I hope so,’ Jessica muttered.

‘I hope so too,’ Ella echoed dutifully. ‘What about your husband?’ Ella asked, screwing up her eyes and watching Jessica closely.

If Jason returned, he might not agree to Jessica parting with so much money.

‘What about him?’

‘Have you heard from him yet?’

Jessica shook her head carelessly. ‘He can snuff it for all I care,’ she replied. Raising her eyes to meet Ella’s, she added solemnly, ‘Maybe he’s already dead.’

Ella smiled nervously at her visitor, wishing she would go away.

20

20

Having dropped Ian back at the police station, Geraldine went to her next call.

‘Is this about Daisy?’ Jessica asked as she opened the door. ‘Have you found her?’

She was trembling, and Geraldine thought she looked agitated rather than hopeful.

‘No, it’s not about Daisy. But I do need to talk to you and I’m afraid this can’t wait. Can we go inside and sit down?’

‘Why? What’s this about? What’s happened? Have you found Jason?’

‘Let’s go and sit down.’

Jessica nodded and led Geraldine to a small sitting room where they sat down on large soft armchairs. A few clothes were strewn around the room, some of them jumbled together in a plastic laundry basket.

‘I’m afraid I have some bad news about your father,’ Geraldine said.

Jessica looked surprised. ‘My father? I thought you were supposed to be looking for Daisy.’ She shivered. ‘So, what’s this about? What’s happened to my father? Because I’m more concerned about my baby than my father’s troubles. If he wasn’t so hotheaded, people might –’

Geraldine interrupted her. There was no easy way to tell Jessica what had happened, and Geraldine had no words to soften the truth. ‘I’m afraid your father’s dead.’

Jessica looked at her as though she did not understand what Geraldine had said.

‘I’m very sorry,’ Geraldine added.