Chapters (82)
- Cover
- Dedication
- ONE
- TWO
- THREE
- FOUR
- FIVE
- SIX
- SEVEN
- EIGHT
- NINE
- TEN
- ELEVEN
- TWELVE
- THIRTEEN
- FOURTEEN
- FIFTEEN
- SIXTEEN
- SEVENTEEN
- EIGHTEEN
- NINETEEN
- TWENTY
- TWENTY-ONE
- TWENTY-TWO
- TWENTY-THREE
- TWENTY-FOUR
- TWENTY-FIVE
- TWENTY-SIX
- TWENTY-SEVEN
- TWENTY-EIGHT
- TWENTY-NINE
- THIRTY
- THIRTY-ONE
- THIRTY-TWO
- THIRTY-THREE
- THIRTY-FOUR
- THIRTY-FIVE
- THIRTY-SIX
- THIRTY-SEVEN
- THIRTY-EIGHT
- THIRTY-NINE
- FORTY
- FORTY-ONE
- FORTY-TWO
- FORTY-THREE
- FORTY-FOUR
- FORTY-FIVE
- FORTY-SIX
- FORTY-SEVEN
- FORTY-EIGHT
- FORTY-NINE
- FIFTY
- FIFTY-ONE
- FIFTY-TWO
- FIFTY-THREE
- FIFTY-FOUR
- FIFTY-FIVE
- FIFTY-SIX
- FIFTY-SEVEN
- FIFTY-EIGHT
- FIFTY-NINE
- SIXTY
- SIXTY-ONE
- SIXTY-TWO
- SIXTY-THREE
- SIXTY-FOUR
- SIXTY-FIVE
- SIXTY-SIX
- SIXTY-SEVEN
- SIXTY-EIGHT
- SIXTY-NINE
- SEVENTY
- SEVENTY-ONE
- SEVENTY-TWO
- SEVENTY-THREE
- SEVENTY-FOUR
- Suggested topics for reading-group discussion
- Keep Reading …
- Lisa Stone also writes under the name of Cathy Glass.Don’t miss her latest book …
- About the Author
- Books by Lisa Stone
- About the Publisher
But as she crossed the room a face appeared at the glass. Jan let out a small cry and delved into her bag for her phone. Too late. The face had gone. She rushed to the back door with Tinder at her heels and opened it. He ran down the garden barking and Jan caught a glimpse of the shadowy figure before it disappeared through the hedge and was gone.
SIXTY-ONE
With blood pounding in her ears, Jan returned to the living room, her phone still in her hand. She looked at Camile and Chris. Neither of them spoke. Camile continued to the windows and purposely drew the curtains. Chris concentrated on his glass of Scotch. Jan looked from one to the other. Were they planning on ignoring what had just happened? The silence was deafening.
‘Well?’ Jan asked after a moment.
Camile returned to her chair and looked at her. ‘Do you still have any photographs or film of them?’ she asked.
‘No. Chris saw to that,’ Jan said sharply. ‘But you’re surely not going to deny they exist?’
‘No,’ Camile said quietly. ‘Sit down, Jan. We need to talk. Are you sure you don’t want a drink?’
‘Perfectly.’
Jan sat on the sofa, upright, with her bag still on her shoulder, ready to make a run for it if necessary. She didn’t feel safe with the two of them alone in the cottage. They were clearly colluding, and the air was charged with secrecy and foreboding. Perhaps she should leave now while she had the chance, but then she’d never know what was really going on.
‘You obviously want an explanation,’ Camile said, and took a sip of her drink. ‘I will explain, but first you must promise never to tell anyone. Young lives could be lost if you did.’
‘I want to hear what’s happening first before I make any promises,’ Jan said, her voice unsteady. ‘I doubt anyone would believe me anyway without proof.’
Camile glanced at Chris, who nodded, confirming it was all right for her to continue.
‘It won’t have escaped your notice that Chris and I look alike,’ Camile began.
Jan nodded.
‘We are related. We share the same biological father. We are half brother and sister.’
Jan gasped.
‘I know, although we didn’t know when we began our relationship. We assumed our likeness was the result of our genes being messed up by the power station’s chemical waste getting into the water supply. There are others in the villages around here who look alike and everyone believes the power station is to blame. It was only after we’d been in a relationship for some years and had a child that we discovered the truth.’ Camile paused to take another sip of her drink. Jan saw her hand shake as she set the glass on the table. Chris was looking at her.