Simon didn’t believe it at first. When DC Stone phoned him at his parents’ house that night, he’d called the detective’s accusation ridiculous, defamatory, dangerously inaccurate. He’d known Beth for sixteen years, he’d said, and she’d never even lost her temper. It took Saskia to convince him otherwise. Sitting with her and Tim in their warm kitchen, she’d taken him through Beth’s list of crimes. Deep down, he’d known that Beth was aware there were nuts in his mum’s mince pies. But it was when Saskia explained Beth’s motivation, her craving for some elusive form of perfection, that he’d surrendered to the truth. For sixteen years he’d admired her quest for the perfect life, and had felt honoured that she considered him worthy of being part of it. It took her fall from grace for him to realise how damaging, how arrogant, it is to have such a narrow view of what perfect means.

He looks over at Beth’s mother. She’s stood by herself, reading the messages on a line of bouquets. Simon hesitates for a moment, then walks over to join her.

‘They’re beautiful,’ he murmurs. He doesn’t look up, but he senses Beth’s mother turn towards him.

‘I don’t normally like flowers like this,’ she says quietly. ‘Cut at the stem. It feels wrong, finding something beautiful, then cutting off its energy supply.’

‘I’ve never thought of it like that.’

‘But I find it comforting today. I want them to die, you see, so that Stefan’s surrounded by beauty on his journey. Do you think that’s selfish?’

‘No,’ Simon says quickly. ‘Stefan was your husband. They may be beautiful, but these are just flowers. His happiness, your wishes, those are more important.’

‘Love before beauty,’ she whispers.

‘Always.’

Simon smiles at his mother-in-law, and pulls two photos out of his wallet.

Gripped by My Perfect Friend? Don’t miss Every Little Secret, another unputdownable novel from Sarah Clarke. Available now!

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A Letter from Sarah Clarke

A Letter from Sarah Clarke

Dear Reader,

Thank you for reading My Perfect Friend.

I have always been interested in first impressions, and how we make judgements about people based on the way we look. As a thriller writer, I wanted to take this inclination into the world of crime, which is why my murderer is beautiful and fragile, and my hero awkward and intimidating. Mark is a rough sleeper, but also a talented game designer with big dreams.