BooksBarbecue
Back Her White Lie Save as PDF
Chapters (72)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  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. Chapter Fifty-Six
  59. Chapter Fifty-Seven
  60. Chapter Fifty-Eight
  61. Chapter Fifty-Nine
  62. Chapter Sixty
  63. Chapter Sixty-One
  64. Chapter Sixty-Two
  65. Chapter Sixty-Three
  66. Chapter Sixty-Four
  67. Chapter Sixty-Five
  68. Chapter Sixty-Six
  69. Chapter Sixty-Seven
  70. A letter from Jackie
  71. About the Author
  72. Also by Jackie Walsh

I begin to panic. Did I meet her? Did I give her my number? I met a lot of new people at Mam’s funeral. I gave my number out to different people when I was helping Dad make the funeral arrangements. But Avril Ryan didn’t have anything to do with arranging funerals.

I feel my confidence deflating when Detective Lee speaks.

‘Tara, you are the last person Avril Ryan rang before she went missing.’

Chapter Twenty-One

I want to ring Lucas. I want to tell him what happened but if I do he’ll rush home and his stag party will be ruined. No. I’ll sit here and wait until he comes in.

Amy stayed for as long as she could, making me drink a brandy. Twice.

When the detectives eventually left, she came out of the room. She probably heard everything that went on. I know if it was me I would have had my ear to the door. But she said nothing. She just asked if I wanted to talk about it and I was so drained, I wouldn’t have known where to start.

It took Amy seven runs up and down the stairs before she had all the drinks unloaded. I hope I didn’t waste her time. The way I’m feeling now there will be no hen party. I’ll be lucky to make the wedding.

I asked Detective Siobhan Lee if I needed a solicitor. She said that was up to me, which means I do. I told them I was getting married a week on Saturday and asked them if they were going to be calling here, asking me questions that I didn’t know the answer to on the days before my wedding. Detective Lee said they would stay away unless it was necessary. What’s necessary to them may not be necessary to me. I’m picturing them standing outside the church when I arrive, white dress, sparkling veil, handcuffs. I feel sick.

And Lucas, what is he going to think? Will he be as eager to take me for his wife if I’m embroiled in a murder case? I can’t believe this is happening.

Tears are rolling down my face but they’re not from sadness, I don’t know how I feel. Numb. That’s it. Numb. I should have known something would come along and derail my happiness. It’s not right to be that happy. To have all the stars aligned. I don’t deserve to be the luckiest woman in the world. Not after what I did. But I just thought for one brief moment I was going to be.