BooksBarbecue
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

Someone was out there, watching her. Perhaps it was time to pack and leave the cottage. She’d have to give Camile notice so she could make alternative arrangements for Tinder. Or should she call DC Matt Davis? But what would she say? That she’d found a ball of twine in the woods that had come from the shed and someone had left it on her doorstep? Surely that would be called wasting police time, and goodness knows what Matt would think of her!

What she needed was someone to talk to, Jan thought, someone who knew her well and could be relied upon to give her an honest opinion and sound advice. Ruby. She’d already offered to stay for Christmas, but Jan couldn’t wait that long. Christmas was still weeks away. She needed to speak to her now.

A couple of rings and then, ‘Hi, Jan. Lovely to hear from you.’

‘And you. Can you talk?’

‘For a bit. Why? What’s the matter? You sound uptight.’

‘I am,’ Jan immediately confessed. ‘Ruby, there’s stuff going on here at the cottage I don’t understand. Weird stuff I need to tell you about and get your opinion on.’

‘Are you in some kind of danger?’ Ruby asked, worried.

‘I honestly don’t know.’

‘That doesn’t sound like you, Jan. I’ve only got a few minutes now. How about I come over and visit you tomorrow? I’ve already booked a couple of days off work.’

‘Oh, would you? That would be fantastic.’

‘Sure. I’ll drive up first thing in the morning and then come back on Saturday.’

‘Lovely. Thank you so much.’

‘You’ll be OK until then?’

‘Yes.’

‘See you around midday tomorrow.’

‘Thank you.’

As they ended the call, Jan’s phone bleeped with a text message. It was from Camile. Everything OK at the cottage?

Too much of a coincidence, Jan thought. Doubtless Chris had said something to her.

Yes, thanks, she replied.

TWENTY-NINE

Despite telling Ruby she’d be OK until the following day, Jan hardly slept a wink that night. Every noise suggested someone was outside trying to break in or were already in the cottage and coming to get her. The wind didn’t help. She kept her phone in her hand, ready to call for help if necessary, and left the hall and landing lights on. Eventually she brought Tinder up to sleep on her bed.

Then at 2 a.m., when she was still wide awake, the lights suddenly went out. Panic gripped her until she realized that leaving all the lights on had drained the meter. She didn’t dare get out of bed now and go downstairs in the dark to feed the meter, so she pulled the bed covers up over her head and waited for morning.