‘I still don’t quite understand what that’s got to do with it,’ Marion said, looking perplexed.

‘Janet was in love with Shirley,’ Amy explained. ‘She’d been following her and recording her for months. I hear the police found hours and hours of footage on her phone.’

‘Well I never,’ Marion said, reaching for some ham.

‘Seems Janet recorded Shirley killing Toni. Stupid woman was so infatuated with her that she didn’t tell the police, but when she told Shirley she knew what she’d done, that was it.’

‘I wonder why Janet told Shirley she’d seen her killing Toni?’ Maggie asked.

‘Janet was so besotted she probably told Shirley that she’d keep her secret, and thought it would bring them closer. Who knows,’ Amy said.

‘Shirley knows,’ Marion said as she buttered a piece of bread. ‘But from what I’ve heard, she’s refusing to cooperate with the police now.’

‘How do you know this?’ Amy asked.

‘I called Grant to see if he and the girl were alright. He sounded awful. Probably feels responsible.’

‘He should have kept it in his pants,’ Amy said, quietly.

‘You know the police are investigating him too, for the alleged rape of Toni?’ Maggie added.

‘Yes, I know.’

‘They think she was responsible for the threatening note I received too,’ Amy added.

‘My, my, what a pickle.’ Marion put down her knife and looked across the table at Amy. ‘At least it’s over now.’

‘I don’t think it will ever be over for Shirley.’

‘I hope not,’ Maggie added. ‘She always was a jealous cow. She got what she deserved in the end.’

‘And what about Toni and Janet – did they get what they deserved?’ Amy asked. ‘None of us are perfect.’

‘Well, you might not be …’ Maggie winked, lightening the mood.

‘What’s done is done. Everyone pays the price for their mistakes in the end,’ Marion mused, and Amy thought back to the crash Johnny had been involved in.

‘Do you believe in karma?’ she asked her friends.

‘I do,’ Maggie spoke with a mouthful of bread and cheese. ‘What goes around and all that.’

‘And you?’ Amy turned to Marion.

‘I don’t know about that. All I know is that there are good eggs and bad eggs in this world. You need to pick your friends carefully.’ She sighed, wishing she’d followed her own advice and never got involved with the book club.

‘I’m pretty sure I’ve chosen wisely.’ Amy smiled at Marion who blushed and looked down at her plate.

‘Anyway, how are you doing, pet?’ she asked, her blue eyes twinkling kindly.

‘I’m good.’ Amy put her hand on her pregnant belly and looked down at it. ‘Everything is just fine.’

THE END

The thrilling follow on to Murder at the Book Club is available now:

Murder in the Dark

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