She opened her eyes and squinted in the sunlight. A figure was moving towards her from the lane. A young woman. Tall and willowy, with a light-brown hair and a curtain of a fringe hanging across one eye.

Nikki took a shaky breath, and looked again. She had not dared to believe this would really happen, but as the girl came closer, there was no doubt. My God! she thought, She’s actually come!

Because that was the last and probably the most radical thing that Nikki had done in her busy three days.

It hadn’t been easy, but somehow she had traced her halfway round the world, and then, ironically, found her in London, of all places. The girl had made no promises, but she had listened to what Nikki had to say, and Nikki had asked no more of her. Just told her where and when she could find him.

She looked up at the girl and smiled.

Tamsin had her father’s eyes. Nikki hoped that she also had his capacity to understand and to forgive.

‘Thank you. You won’t regret this,’ Nikki whispered, then she heard the door to the chapel open. ‘Time for me to go.’

She slipped quietly out into the lane and walked swiftly towards the car park. It was so hard not to take a look back, but this was their time, not hers.

She unlocked her car and slid into the driver’s seat. Joseph had said it would take a miracle to reconcile him with his daughter. So, no one knew what this meeting would bring, but it could be that miracle. And if Joseph could have one, maybe she could too?

Nikki slipped the key into the ignition and smiled. One day at a time. Right now, she’d settle for a permanent detective sergeant for her team, and if Joseph Easter didn’t want the job, he’d better have a damn good reason for turning her down!

Copyright

© Joy Ellis 2010
First published in Great Britain 2010
This edition 2013

ISBN 978 0 7198 0942 2 (epub)
ISBN 978 0 7198 0943 9 (mobi)
ISBN 978 0 7198 0944 6 (pdf)
ISBN 978 0 7090 9021 2 (print)

Robert Hale Limited
Clerkenwell House
Clerkenwell Green
London EC1R 0HT

The right of Joy Ellis to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988