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Back The Couple at Number 9: a Novel
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

Her mobile vibrates on the worktop and she leans across to get it. Saffy’s name flashes up on screen and Lorna feels a lurch of happiness, followed by a quick stab of guilt. She hasn’t seen her daughter since Christmas and she misses her.

‘Hi, honey,’ she says into the phone.

‘Mum.’ Saffy sounds hesitant and straight away Lorna’s antennae twitch. She stands up, picturing her daughter’s beautiful and slightly anxious face.

‘Is everything okay?’

‘Yes . . . well, no. Something odd has happened.’

No small talk. She loves that about her daughter. She always gets straight to the point.

‘O-kaay.’ Lorna braces herself for the many catastrophes she tries not to worry about befalling her only child while she’s living so far away. Her stomach tenses.

The line crackles and Lorna moves into the living room as Saffy speaks. Did she just say something about dead bodies?

‘. . . ten days ago, in the garden, while the builders were digging . . .’ She sounds young.

Lorna sinks into her lime-green armchair, her mobile still pinned to her ear, her stomach dropping. ‘What?’ Her mouth falls open as her daughter fills her in. And why is she only hearing about this now? Saffy said this happened ten days ago.

‘The police are going to want to speak to Gran, although I haven’t heard anything about it yet,’ says Saffy. ‘Do you know the exact date she bought the cottage? I know Gran told us it was sometime in the 1970s, but she might have got it wrong.’

Lorna tucks her legs underneath her. The rain has soaked through to her blouse and she feels cold and damp. ‘I have no idea. I didn’t even know about Skelton Place until she told us about it last year. As far as I know she never lived there herself.’

‘You’ve got the deeds, haven’t you? It should say on there when Gran bought it.’

Lorna frowns. ‘I have them somewhere, yes. I’ll dig them out. But the police might already have this information.’

‘Even so, I’d like to know,’ says Saffy. ‘And the list of tenants.’

‘You might be better off speaking to her solicitor . . . I’ll see if I have their details.’