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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

Thank goodness Ruby was coming today, Jan thought as the sky outside finally lightened and she could get up. Ruby would know what to do for the best. She was Jan’s oldest and probably closest friend. She knew how to have a laugh, but could also be relied on to be level-headed and objective when necessary. Ruby wasn’t someone given to flights of fantasy. But then neither had Jan been, she reminded herself, before coming to live in Ivy Cottage.

Throwing on her dressing gown, she went downstairs, fed Tinder and set the coffee to brew. Tinder ate some of his breakfast and then began pawing at the back door to be let out for his morning run. Jan slid the bolts and turned the key. As she opened the door she saw it, and her legs went weak. She couldn’t believe it. The ball of twine she’d kicked off the front doorstep the afternoon before was now on the patio, directly in front of the back door. Positioned so she couldn’t miss it.

Someone had placed it there on purpose. There was no other explanation. Her legs felt like jelly. So the noises she’d heard in the night hadn’t all been her imagination. Her stomach churned. While she’d been in bed, whoever it was had taken the twine from the front garden and brought it round to the back and left it right where she would see it, letting her know they were still out there, watching her. She felt sick with fear. But why were they here? What did they want with her?

Keeping one hand on the door ready to close it quickly if necessary, Jan reached out and with trembling fingers was about to pick up the twine, then she stopped. No. She’d leave it where it was to show Ruby. It would be evidence that what she was saying was true.

Tinder, having done his business, returned up the garden, sniffed the twine and then came in. Jan closed and bolted the back door, her thoughts racing. Was she in danger? Ruby had asked yesterday, and Jan had replied she didn’t know. Now she did. Without doubt, she was being targeted. Should she call the police again? And say what? A ball of twine had found its way from the woods to her front doorstep and then the patio? It made her sound ridiculous, unbalanced. She’d wait to see what Ruby had to say. In the meantime, she needed to get a grip and think rationally. There were things she had to do.