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Back Forgive Me Save as PDF
Chapters (65)
  1. Cover
  2. Prologue
  3. Chapter One
  4. Chapter Two
  5. Chapter Three
  6. Chapter Four
  7. Chapter Five
  8. Chapter Six
  9. Chapter Seven
  10. Chapter Eight
  11. Chapter Nine
  12. Chapter Ten
  13. Chapter Eleven
  14. Chapter Twelve
  15. Chapter Thirteen
  16. Chapter Fourteen
  17. Chapter Fifteen
  18. Chapter Sixteen
  19. Chapter Seventeen
  20. Chapter Eighteen
  21. Chapter Nineteen
  22. Chapter Twenty
  23. Chapter Twenty-One
  24. Chapter Twenty-Two
  25. Chapter Twenty-Three
  26. Chapter Twenty-Four
  27. Chapter Twenty-Five
  28. Chapter Twenty-Six
  29. Chapter Twenty-Seven
  30. Chapter Twenty-Eight
  31. Chapter Twenty-Nine
  32. Chapter Thirty
  33. Chapter Thirty-One
  34. Chapter Thirty-Two
  35. Chapter Thirty-Three
  36. Chapter Thirty-Four
  37. Chapter Thirty-Five
  38. Chapter Thirty-Six
  39. Chapter Thirty-Seven
  40. Chapter Thirty-Eight
  41. Chapter Thirty-Nine
  42. Chapter Forty
  43. Chapter Forty-One
  44. Chapter Forty-Two
  45. Chapter Forty-Three
  46. Chapter Forty-Four
  47. Chapter Forty-Five
  48. Chapter Forty-Six
  49. Chapter Forty-Seven
  50. Chapter Forty-Eight
  51. Chapter Forty-Nine
  52. Chapter Fifty
  53. Chapter Fifty-One
  54. Chapter Fifty-Two
  55. Chapter Fifty-Three
  56. Chapter Fifty-Four
  57. Chapter Fifty-Five
  58. Acknowledgments
  59. P.S. Insights, Interviews & More . . .*
  60. About the Author
  61. About the Book
  62. Read On
  63. Praise for Susan Lewis and Her Books
  64. Also by Susan Lewis
  65. About the Publisher

“No problem,” Jasmine assured her. “It’s more important that you’re well for tomorrow,” and putting the car into reverse she was about to return to the house when Marcy said, “Drop me here. I can walk back.”

“Do you have your keys?” Claudia asked, getting out to tip her seat forward.

“No, I don’t think so . . .”

“Take mine. We’ll use Jasmine’s when we come home. Straight to bed now, OK?”

“Promise.” Marcy smiled, giving her a hug.

“Dan’s invited us for a bite to eat after, so we might be a bit late.”

“Don’t rush. I’ll probably be fast asleep.”

Chapter Twenty-Four

So, I’m standing outside your house, hidden from view in the bushes. It’s like a jungle, brambles, cobwebs, you name it, but I can see everything you’re doing. At last, the front door’s locked, you all get in the car and drive off. After you’ve gone, I sneak round to the old shed at the back to collect the gear I brought with me. I wait there for a while; I’m not sure why. I could have been losing my nerve, or I just didn’t want to do it. Whatever, I end up carrying my stuff back to the front and I settle down in the bushes again.

There are the same lights on inside the house as there were when you left, nothing’s changed. There’s no one about, just a couple of cars passing on the road now and again, so I can take my time, make sure it’s done right.

I was told not to bother about trying to hide it was arson, I wouldn’t be able to anyway, but that was my instruction. I thought, someone, somewhere wants you to know it was deliberate. What did you do to them?

I start by smashing one of the big arched windows. I brought a proper sledgehammer for that so it’s done in a couple of hits. Next I empty a petrol can through the hole, sloshing it about for good cover. Then I do the same on the other side, smash the window, slosh the petrol, make sure to soak as much as I can.

Everything stays quiet apart from the rustle of whatever is in the undergrowth. I don’t even hear myself pouring petrol through the letter box I’m so quiet. I finish up by tossing the canisters through the broken windows. Then I light a fueled-up rag, post it fast, and back off even faster.