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Back Sinner Save as PDF
Chapters (56)
  1. SINNER
  2. Dedication
  3. Epigraph
  4. 1
  5. 2
  6. 3
  7. 4
  8. 5
  9. 6
  10. 7
  11. 8
  12. 9
  13. 10
  14. 11
  15. 12
  16. 13
  17. 14
  18. 15
  19. 16
  20. 17
  21. 18
  22. 19
  23. 20
  24. 21
  25. 22
  26. 23
  27. 24
  28. 25
  29. 26
  30. 27
  31. 28
  32. 29
  33. 30
  34. 31
  35. 32
  36. 33
  37. 34
  38. 35
  39. 36
  40. 37
  41. 38
  42. 39
  43. 40
  44. 41
  45. 42
  46. 43
  47. 44
  48. 45
  49. 46
  50. 47
  51. 48
  52. Acknowledgements
  53. Keep Reading …
  54. About the Author
  55. Also by Jacqui Rose
  56. About the Publisher

‘I’m not, I swear! I’m not the one who’s lying to you.’

‘I don’t believe you, and what the fuck is that supposed to mean? I don’t like games.’ Pulling out his gun from his inside jacket pocket, Alfie jabbed Charlie in the chest. Charlie’s face drained of colour and, full of fear, he put his hands in the air.

‘Come off it, Alf, you ain’t being serious. You can’t kill me, not here, not like this.’

Angrily, Alfie said, ‘Kill you? Who said anything about killing you, Charlie? That would be a little unfair, don’t you think? Until I know for certain about the fire, I’m going to leave you my calling card as it were, a little reminder never to take me on.’

And as Alfie Jennings aimed the gun at Charlie’s kneecaps, thinking about the fire, thinking about Shannon, thinking about all the other young girls Charlie had taken advantage of over the years, without hesitation, he pulled the trigger.

But as he walked away, hearing Charlie writhe and scream in agony, Alfie heard something else, something just before Charlie blacked out.

‘Ask Franny about the baby … Ask about Bree’s baby.’

24

Epping Forest was somewhere that Franny knew well. Her father had taken her on many occasions and not just for a walk in the woods. From her earliest years he had taught her everything he knew about the business. And one of those things was where to dispose of something so that nobody would ever find it.

So, it was here in the dark of the night Franny found herself driving as near as she could to the area of the woods she needed to be in.

With the rain still falling, blanketing the trees with a ghostlike mist, Franny pulled up, switching off the engine and the lights of the car. Surrounded by nothing but blackness, she waited a moment in the unsettling silence, letting her eyes adjust to the darkness.

She sat staring ahead, her body going from hot to cold. Her shivering turning into violent spasms and sweats. Her breathing was tight. She felt like she had someone’s hands around her neck and the pulse behind her left eye throbbed as she covered her face with her hands, images of Bree and Vaughn rushing through her mind.

Overwhelmed, Franny sat motionless for a couple of minutes, hearing her own breathing as her tears ran through her fingers. But knowing she needed to get herself together, she slowly straightened up, wiped her face and took a long deep breath.

Forcing herself to get out of the car, Franny’s hand hovered over the door handle then, hesitantly, she stepped out, walking to the boot and opening it up.