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Chapters (62)
  1. Title
  2. Copyright
  3. Contents
  4. About the Author
  5. About the Book
  6. Dedication
  7. Your Worst Nightmare
  8. ONE
  9. TWO
  10. THREE
  11. FOUR
  12. FIVE
  13. SIX
  14. SEVEN
  15. EIGHT
  16. NINE
  17. The Answer to All Your Prayers
  18. TEN
  19. ELEVEN
  20. TWELVE
  21. THIRTEEN
  22. FOURTEEN
  23. FIFTEEN
  24. SIXTEEN
  25. SEVENTEEN
  26. EIGHTEEN
  27. NINETEEN
  28. TWENTY
  29. TWENTY-ONE
  30. TWENTY-TWO
  31. TWENTY-THREE
  32. TWENTY-FOUR
  33. TWENTY-FIVE
  34. TWENTY-SIX
  35. TWENTY-SEVEN
  36. TWENTY-EIGHT
  37. TWENTY-NINE
  38. THIRTY
  39. THIRTY-ONE
  40. Somebody Else’s Child
  41. THIRTY-TWO
  42. THIRTY-THREE
  43. THIRTY-FOUR
  44. THIRTY-FIVE
  45. THIRTY-SIX
  46. THIRTY-SEVEN
  47. THIRTY-EIGHT
  48. THIRTY-NINE
  49. FORTY
  50. FORTY-ONE
  51. FORTY-TWO
  52. FORTY-THREE
  53. FORTY-FOUR
  54. FORTY-FIVE
  55. FORTY-SIX
  56. FORTY-SEVEN
  57. FORTY-EIGHT
  58. FORTY-NINE
  59. Sunlight on Water
  60. July
  61. September
  62. Acknowledgements

Jack hands Evan the pickle jar, and Evan extricates the fish from the net. When it’s swimming in the jar, he holds it up for them all to see. And smiles.

‘Look at that, I brought you a bit of luck,’ says Ben. ‘You have to be careful with them, as I remember. They’re not called sticklebacks for nothing. Anyway, much as I should prefer to stay, I’d better get on.’

As Ben drives away, Evan places the pickle jar in the shade.

‘We’ve still got it,’ says Jack, all smiles. ‘We haven’t lost that old magic. He’s a lovely lad, Ben, a lovely lad.’

For a little while, Evan fishes in silence.

‘You know, people like Ben, they make you think, don’t they?’ says Jack, as if he’s been considering the matter. ‘You and I know too well there are bad people in this world – some very bad people – but I can look back from my great age, and if I think about it – really think about it – I can count the number of really bad people I’ve run across on the fingers of one hand. I’m not saying everyone’s perfect, because they’re not, and I’m not saying ordinary people don’t sometimes do things they shouldn’t be proud of. But people who are bad through and through – downright wrong ’uns who’d be better locked up with the key thrown away – the fact is, you don’t run across many of them at all. When you meet somebody new, the chances are astronomically higher they’ll be a cheerful sort like Ben. Now then, look down there. If you play your cards right I reckon you might get two together.’

There are roadworks on Oakland Way, and Naylor’s been stuck at the temporary traffic lights for almost fifteen minutes. Some idiot has set them up wrong, so the main flow of traffic from Byron Road is only getting seconds to pass through.

When her phone rings, she’s expecting a call from Hagen. She doesn’t even glance at the caller display before pushing ‘answer’ on the dashboard.

‘Hello?’

‘Is that DS Naylor?’ A woman’s voice, a voice she knows. ‘It’s Claire Ferrers.’

‘Claire! Hi, how are you?’ She wasn’t expecting this and doesn’t have her story ready. She hasn’t spoken to Claire or Matt in probably too long.

‘I’m OK.’

‘And how’s Evan?’

‘Evan’s away at the moment. He’s staying with his grandparents in Yorkshire. I think the peace and quiet does him good.’

‘I can see it would. You must miss him, though.’

‘I got used to missing him while he was gone. At least I know where he is.’ Is there a reproach in there? Naylor dismisses the thought as the product of her guilty conscience.

‘So, what can I do for you?’