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Back The Couple at Number 9: a Novel Save as PDF
Chapters (71)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. Part One
  4. 1
  5. 2
  6. 3
  7. 4
  8. 5
  9. 6
  10. 7
  11. 8
  12. 9
  13. 10
  14. Part Two
  15. 11
  16. 12
  17. 13
  18. 14
  19. 15
  20. 16
  21. 17
  22. 18
  23. 19
  24. 20
  25. 21
  26. 22
  27. 23
  28. 24
  29. 25
  30. 26
  31. 27
  32. 28
  33. Part Three
  34. 29
  35. 30
  36. 31
  37. 32
  38. 33
  39. 34
  40. 35
  41. 36
  42. 37
  43. 38
  44. 39
  45. 40
  46. 41
  47. 42
  48. 43
  49. 44
  50. 45
  51. 46
  52. 47
  53. 48
  54. Part Four
  55. 49
  56. 50
  57. 51
  58. 52
  59. 53
  60. 54
  61. 55
  62. 56
  63. 57
  64. 58
  65. 59
  66. 60
  67. Acknowledgments
  68. About the Author
  69. Praise for Claire Douglas and The Couple at Number 9
  70. Also by Claire Douglas
  71. About the Publisher

‘And what about when you were a kid? You said killing Susan Wallace was an accident.’

‘It was.’

‘I read the news reports.’

She sprang back as though I’d slapped her. ‘What? You were snooping around on me?’

‘I have a two-and-a-half-year-old daughter.’

The hurt on her face crushed me. ‘You think I’d ever hurt Lolly?’

‘No.’ I’d gone too far, I could see that. I knew she loved you like you were her own. ‘No, of course not.’

She rushed to my side, kneeling at my feet and taking my hands in hers. She kissed them and looked up at me. My heart lurched. She was so beautiful. ‘Rose, I’m sorry for lying about Joel. It was stupid.’

‘I . . .’

She pulled me onto the floor with her and ran her hands through my hair, her eyes intense. ‘I love you. I’ve never loved anyone like I’ve loved you. You have to believe me.’

‘I do.’

Her eyes filled with tears. ‘You can’t leave me. I’d be lost without you.’

‘Daphne . . .’

‘You promise. You promise me, Rose. You can’t leave me.’

I hesitated, thinking of how I’d been so determined to ask her to move out. But I knew I was just angry. I loved her so much. ‘I’m not planning to leave you.’

Relief flooded her face. ‘Oh, good.’ She kissed me, wrapping her arms around me, the book of poetry she’d given me sliding off my lap and onto the wooden floor beside us. She pulled away, cupping my face with her hands.

‘I know too much about you,’ she said, her face serious.

‘And I know too much about you.’

‘Then we’re stuck together, aren’t we?’ She laughed to break the tension but it did nothing to dispel the unease that crept through me.

And maybe we might have been okay. Maybe we could have moved past this.

If it hadn’t been for Sean.

52

Theo

IT’S DARK AND RAINING WHEN THEO LEAVES THE RESTAURANT. Since May turned into June it’s done nothing but piss down and he has to sprint through the rain-slicked street to his car, his jacket over his head.

It’s been ten days since the weekend in Beggars Nook. Ten days since he met Lorna and Saffron, his possible family. Lorna has texted him a few times – like him, she’s still waiting for the DNA results. He has such mixed feelings: happy that he might have a sister – he’s always wanted a sibling – but also the gut-churning fear his dad might be a murderer.

His dad had been furious, as he’d known he would be, when he’d asked him about the bodies. He’d shouted, told Theo he shouldn’t let his imagination run wild, and had then slammed out of the door. He hasn’t heard from him since.