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Back The Cottage Save as PDF
Chapters (82)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. ONE
  4. TWO
  5. THREE
  6. FOUR
  7. FIVE
  8. SIX
  9. SEVEN
  10. EIGHT
  11. NINE
  12. TEN
  13. ELEVEN
  14. TWELVE
  15. THIRTEEN
  16. FOURTEEN
  17. FIFTEEN
  18. SIXTEEN
  19. SEVENTEEN
  20. EIGHTEEN
  21. NINETEEN
  22. TWENTY
  23. TWENTY-ONE
  24. TWENTY-TWO
  25. TWENTY-THREE
  26. TWENTY-FOUR
  27. TWENTY-FIVE
  28. TWENTY-SIX
  29. TWENTY-SEVEN
  30. TWENTY-EIGHT
  31. TWENTY-NINE
  32. THIRTY
  33. THIRTY-ONE
  34. THIRTY-TWO
  35. THIRTY-THREE
  36. THIRTY-FOUR
  37. THIRTY-FIVE
  38. THIRTY-SIX
  39. THIRTY-SEVEN
  40. THIRTY-EIGHT
  41. THIRTY-NINE
  42. FORTY
  43. FORTY-ONE
  44. FORTY-TWO
  45. FORTY-THREE
  46. FORTY-FOUR
  47. FORTY-FIVE
  48. FORTY-SIX
  49. FORTY-SEVEN
  50. FORTY-EIGHT
  51. FORTY-NINE
  52. FIFTY
  53. FIFTY-ONE
  54. FIFTY-TWO
  55. FIFTY-THREE
  56. FIFTY-FOUR
  57. FIFTY-FIVE
  58. FIFTY-SIX
  59. FIFTY-SEVEN
  60. FIFTY-EIGHT
  61. FIFTY-NINE
  62. SIXTY
  63. SIXTY-ONE
  64. SIXTY-TWO
  65. SIXTY-THREE
  66. SIXTY-FOUR
  67. SIXTY-FIVE
  68. SIXTY-SIX
  69. SIXTY-SEVEN
  70. SIXTY-EIGHT
  71. SIXTY-NINE
  72. SEVENTY
  73. SEVENTY-ONE
  74. SEVENTY-TWO
  75. SEVENTY-THREE
  76. SEVENTY-FOUR
  77. Suggested topics for reading-group discussion
  78. Keep Reading …
  79. Lisa Stone also writes under the name of Cathy Glass.Don’t miss her latest book …
  80. About the Author
  81. Books by Lisa Stone
  82. About the Publisher

Barely able to contain himself, Ian opened the email. Dear Mr Jennings, I have pleasure attaching your results … Then there was a paragraph stating that the results should be read in conjunction with the explanatory notes. Ian saved the attachment before opening it. He began to read. Emma’s results first – gradually making sense of the graphs, numbers, estimates and percentages. So Moller had been right on that count, at least. She didn’t carry any genetic condition. He then looked at his results. Ten minutes later he’d concluded that neither did he. Moller had been telling the truth. The last two pages were the results of their paternity tests. He scanned down to the conclusion and that needed no explanation. His heart stopped. There was a 99 per cent chance that he and Emma shared the same biological father, which meant they were half brother and sister. Ian felt physically sick.

THIRTY-NINE

Jan had decided she needed proof. Something she could show Chris, Ruby and the police. Firm evidence that there was something living in the woods. Evidence that wouldn’t disappear like the ball of twine and couldn’t be misinterpreted as the muddy footprints on her car had. She needed a photograph so there was no doubt.

The ball of twine had appeared and then vanished again and Jan found she wasn’t really surprised. Whoever, whatever was out there was tormenting her, toying with her like a cat playing with a mouse, maybe even having a laugh at her expense. They were trying to make it appear as though she was imagining things and losing her mind, but she knew she wasn’t. She was still sure Chris had seen something on the night he’d taken her out, even though he wouldn’t admit it. And Ruby had been convinced she’d heard one of them at the window, although she was now trying to rationalize it.

She’d texted on Monday: Sorry for my hasty departure. I feel a fool. I expect it was nothing. Just the wind in the trees x

No, it wasn’t the wind in the trees, Jan thought. She’d seen how scared Ruby had been. She hadn’t been able to get out of the cottage quickly enough. Ruby would receive a photograph once Jan was able to take one. She had a plan.