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Back Lie Beside Me Save as PDF
Chapters (49)
  1. Cover
  2. About the Author
  3. PENGUIN BOOKS
  4. Dedication
  5. Prologue
  6. 1
  7. 2
  8. 3
  9. 4
  10. 5
  11. 6
  12. 7
  13. 8
  14. 9
  15. 10
  16. 11
  17. 12
  18. 13
  19. 14
  20. 15
  21. 16
  22. 17
  23. 18
  24. 19
  25. 20
  26. 21
  27. 22
  28. 23
  29. 24
  30. 25
  31. 26
  32. 27
  33. 28
  34. 29
  35. 30
  36. 31
  37. 32
  38. 33
  39. 34
  40. 35
  41. 36
  42. 37
  43. 38
  44. 39
  45. 40
  46. Acknowledgements
  47. Read More
  48. Prologue
  49. THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING

‘I’m so sorry for being an idiot,’ you murmured into the top of my head. ‘It really, honestly isn’t that I miss Dina. It’s that I – I feel stupid for having ever thought she was a good person. She’s just announced that she’s engaged. Today. And she knows what bloody day it is. I’m sure she does. It’s all designed to hurt, and I … I just feel like such a dickhead for falling for her.’ You sighed, and I loved being able to feel the movement of your chest underneath me. There was something soft and all-encompassing in it. ‘And the last thing I should have done was get grumpy with you. You’re so different to her. So wonderful. I love you.’

‘I love you too,’ I said, and I didn’t tell you that the tears that oozed out onto your shirt were nothing to do with Dina, and all to do with a man in a nightclub.

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9

Hanson was trying to get a response from YouTube about two of Alex Plaskitt’s most persistent trolls when Jason appeared in CID. He gave a resigned shrug that very clearly asked why they were spending their Saturdays here. She shook her head wryly in return, but found herself smiling.

Jason winked at her as he settled himself at his desk, and then gestured with his hands to make the letter T, before holding up five fingers. Hanson gave him a thumbs up. Tea in five minutes, and an opportunity to tell him about the murder enquiry, sounded good to her. He was always great to talk policing with. He loved his job as much as she did hers.

Her phone buzzed a few minutes later. The DCI messaging to say that Alex Plaskitt’s sister was free to talk this afternoon. He suggested that she and Ben should head over there.

The idea made her stomach drop slightly. The address was up near Winchester, a good forty-five minutes away. She wasn’t sure she felt equal to three quarters of an hour in a car with Ben Lightman just now.

She glanced across at Ben, who seemed to be very much involved with something. She’d leave it a little while, she thought. They could go after she’d had a cuppa and a chat with Jason.

She put her phone back on the desk, and found that there was an email waiting from one of the YouTube technical team. He’d come back with another email address for another part of the company, and then added that, while they might be able to help, anonymous accounts could be very difficult to trace.