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
A few minutes later she heard a car come down the lane and pull up. Thank goodness. But she waited until the bell rang. ‘Is that you, Chris?’
‘Yes.’
She opened the front door and nearly fell into Chris’s arms. ‘I was so scared,’ she said. ‘Thank you for coming.’
‘It’s OK. Come on, let’s sit you down.’ He took her arm and steered her into the living room where he eased her onto the sofa. ‘Shall I get you a drink?’
‘No, I’m all right. I had a fright. Whatever it was came right up to the window and looked in. Thanks for coming so quickly.’
‘I’ll get the torch and check outside,’ Chris said.
‘Do you think it’s safe?’
He threw her a reassuring smile, suggesting there was really nothing to be afraid of and that she might have been overreacting, then fetched the torch from the hall, Tinder at his heels.
‘Keep him in, I don’t want him disappearing,’ Chris said as he returned to the living room with the torch. He picked up Tinder and placed him on Jan’s lap, then went into the kitchen and unlocked the back door.
‘Be careful,’ she called.
‘Don’t worry.’ Again, his tone suggested there was really nothing to be afraid of.
Jan held Tinder close; it was comforting, as Chris went out the back door, closing it again after him. Tinder tried to break free and follow Chris, but Jan kept him securely on her lap, stroking his fur to calm him. She supposed she could have gone with Chris, but even with him beside her there was no way she was going into the garden now, and she wondered if he should have. How could he be certain that whatever – whoever – was out there had gone and wouldn’t harm him?
A few minutes later the back door opened and Chris returned.
‘It’s all clear,’ he said.
She let go of Tinder and he ran into the kitchen.
‘Good boy,’ Chris said, patting him. ‘It’s OK, there’s nothing out there now.’
Taking off his muddy shoes, he came into the living room. ‘Whatever you saw has long gone, but they’ve made short work of your repair. The wood is strewn all over the lawn. I’ll come over at the weekend and fix it.’
‘They?’ Jan asked.
‘I’m guessing there was more than one. Foxes can live in groups, although they usually hunt alone.’
‘You think it was a fox?’
‘Most likely. They’ve been trying to get into my chicken coop again.’
‘It didn’t look like a fox to me,’ she said. ‘And the wood was in place this afternoon. It must have happened after dark while I was in here.’ She shuddered at the thought. ‘I think there was someone in the garden and we should call the police.’ She picked up her phone.