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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

‘All right,’ Ian said. ‘Check your records, but I know my test results are correct.’

‘Quite possibly,’ Moller said in the same convivial manner. ‘I will be in touch as soon as I have investigated the matter. Will that be all?’ he asked politely.

Ian nodded and, closing his laptop, returned it to his briefcase.

‘Thank you for bringing this to my attention,’ Moller said. He stood and came out from behind his desk. ‘I am sorry you’ve had all this worry. I will do my best to put it right, I promise you.’ He opened the door. Edie Moller was waiting on the other side to show Ian out.

‘Goodbye, Mr Jennings,’ Carstan said.

‘Bye,’ Ian mumbled, and followed Edie to the front door.

Outside, Ian saw that the other car had gone. Deflated and confused by Moller’s reaction, Ian returned to his car. He’d arrived half expecting not to be let in and for Moller to then deny that any error could have occurred. Yet he’d admitted straight away that a mistake was possible and even mentioned compensation. Ian didn’t trust him, though. There was something shifty about the man, and he hadn’t been surprised by the DNA results. Indeed, he’d barely glanced at them, almost as if he’d known what they would show. Perhaps he had been using the same donor more than was allowed? How Ian would have liked to see Moller’s records for himself. Then it occurred to him – there was a way … but it was illegal. If he got caught, he would be prosecuted, lose his job and never work again.

FORTY-THREE

Shortly after three o’clock that Wednesday afternoon, Jan left Lillian’s shop in Merryless and returned to her car. Dropping the bag of groceries on the rear seat, she started the engine and headed back to the cottage. She was using her car now to visit the store as it felt safer than walking along Wood Lane. There’d been more muddy footprints on her car that morning and at the front door. They were getting braver and she wasn’t taking any risks. Tinder missed his walks, but he could go in the garden.

She turned into Wood Lane and pressed the central locking system. As the car bumped along the uneven road surface, Jan maintained her vigilance and kept a look-out for any movement in the surrounding trees. It was a bright but cold day with good visibility, so it shouldn’t be too difficult to catch a glimpse of them if they were watching her, as she suspected they were. She looked through the windscreen, the side windows and in the rear-view mirror, but there was nothing so far. She was uncertain whether she should be relieved or more worried than ever.