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
Entering the store, Jan took a wire basket from the stack, quickly gathered together the items she needed and approached the counter. There were two customers ahead of her and she waited impatiently. Once they’d been served, Lillian, the store owner, greeted her with a big smile. ‘Hello, love.’ Her first question as always was: ‘Is Chris looking after you all right?’ Her husband, Jim, was Chris’s brother.
‘He is,’ Jan replied.
‘Excellent.’
As Lillian scanned the items into the till she made small talk. Jan replied, although her thoughts were still far away – in the lane and surrounding woods. She paid using a card and then asked for change for the meter.
Lillian disappeared through a door behind her, into the office where the safe was. She returned with a bag of one-pound coins, which Jan swapped for a twenty-pound note. It was an arrangement Camile had begun some time before and worked well.
‘Are you managing to keep warm in the cottage?’ Lillian asked as Jan tucked the bag of coins into her jacket pocket.
‘Yes, although it’s not cheap and winter has only just begun.’
‘No, indeed,’ Lillian agreed. ‘Camile keeps meaning to have that old meter replaced but never gets around to it.’
‘I’m fine,’ Jan said. ‘As long as I remember to feed the meter.’
‘And Tinder is behaving himself?’ Lillian asked, looking at him over the counter. ‘Not disappearing into the woods again?’
‘He does, given the opportunity,’ Jan said. She hesitated, then asked, ‘Do you know if there is anyone living in the woods?’
‘Apart from you, you mean?’
‘Yes. I mean actually living in the woods.’
‘No, not as far as I know. What makes you ask?’ she frowned, puzzled.
‘Coming here today I thought I saw someone.’
‘A hiker?’ Lillian suggested.
‘Possibly.’ Jan shrugged. ‘Never mind. I just wondered. Thanks for the meter money.’
‘You’re welcome. Have a good evening. Chris is taking you somewhere nice.’ She winked.
‘News travels fast,’ Jan said, returning her smile.
‘He was in here earlier and mentioned it.’
Another customer approached the till so, thanking Lillian for the meter money again, Jan said goodbye and left.
Outside, Jan kept Tinder on a short lead as they crossed the main road and then eased it off a bit as they walked to the end of Wood Lane. What she’d seen wasn’t someone hiking in the woods. Yet Lillian hadn’t heard of anyone living in them and she was usually aware of what went on around here.
Jan paused at the end of Wood Lane and looked along it as far as she could before it disappeared around a bend. With woods on both sides and the sky grey, the lane appeared like a long, dark tunnel. As usual it was deserted. It seemed a long way to the cottage, but she needed to get going.