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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

Ian was now driving there after work on Thursday, having first told Emma where he was going. She’d tried to dissuade him, but he was determined. He had to go. He needed to know. If Anne was out, he’d wait a few hours and then return tomorrow, and every evening until he had the answers he was looking for. What was Anne’s connection to the Moller Clinic and why was her name linked to so many baby deaths? Ian was trying to keep an open mind, but it was becoming increasingly difficult.

It was nearly six o’clock as Ian pulled into Dells Lane. It was on the outer edge of the village. A row of semi-detached houses lined one side of the road, with open common land on the other. The road was dimly lit by old sodium street lamps, which gave it an unhealthy orange glow. Ian drove slowly along the road, checking the house numbers as he went. Number 45 was last. Most of the houses had a small driveway so additional cars were parked on the road. Ian pulled into a space two doors up from Anne’s, from where he could see her house.

The house was in darkness and no car was parked on the drive or directly in front, suggesting she wasn’t home yet. He would check anyway. Getting out, Ian walked along the pavement, up the drive and pressed the doorbell. He heard it chime inside and waited, but no one answered. He tried again and then returned to his car to wait.

It occurred to him that if Anne was on a night shift she might not return until the following morning. He’d wait an hour or so and then try again tomorrow. He turned on the radio and watched the minutes tick by on the dashboard clock. Half an hour passed. The car chilled and Ian switched on the heater. He stretched his legs and texted Emma to say he was all right. He looked around, out of the side window to the common land, which was just grass and bare trees. He wasn’t used to this level of isolation and stillness. It was very different to where he and Emma lived. In the suburbs there was always movement – cars going along the road or neighbours in and out of their houses. Since he’d been sitting here he hadn’t seen a single person.