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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

Mum chuckles. ‘I probably told her off for it. That would have been the sort of thing that embarrassed me, I reckon, as I got older.’

I hand the photo to Tom, who glances at it, then lets out a bark of laughter. ‘Nice pageboy haircut, Lorna.’

‘Mum used to cut it. That fringe!’

I scoot back to the box I was looking through and pull out an envelope, hoping to find more photographs. Instead I find a yellowing newspaper clipping. ‘What’s this?’ I say, as I slide it out. I’m worried it’s going to disintegrate in my hands, it’s so old. ‘It’s from January 1977 in a newspaper called the Thanet Echo.’

‘What?’ This time Mum scuttles over to me and we both read it at the same time.

A BROADSTAIRS WOMAN WHO HAS BEEN MISSING FOR OVER A WEEK IS THOUGHT TO HAVE TRAGICALLY DROWNED.

Sheila Watts, 37, was last seen on New Year’s Eve at her local pub, the Shire Horse. Late-night revellers said she joined them at the beaches of Viking Bay to continue celebrations.

Witnesses told police Miss Watts was on the beach at just after midnight and was spotted getting into the sea. Her clothes were found on the shore although Miss Watts wasn’t seen again.

Alan Hartall, 38, a neighbour of Miss Watts, said, ‘Sheila was a bit of a loner. Kept herself to herself, although I got to know her quite well. Because it was New Year’s Eve she decided to join us for a drink in our local and then came with us to the beach. She was the only one who got in the sea. We were busy drinking and had forgotten all about her. It was only when she failed to return home that I realized what must have happened and alerted the police.’

Coast Guards have scoured the bay to no avail and local police issued a statement to say they believe Miss Watts died of death by misadventure.

I turn to Mum. ‘Sheila! Do you think this is who Gran was talking about today?’

She looks as puzzled as I feel. ‘Maybe she knew her.’

‘In Broadstairs? But I thought Gran was from London.’

‘I think she lived all over before I was born.’

I pass the piece to Tom, who reads it. The fading light from the leaded windows casts a shadow on one side of his face. It has the effect of making his nose look crooked. He hands me back the article. ‘This has to be important,’ he says, glancing from me to Mum and voicing what we’re all thinking. ‘Why else would you keep an article for forty years?’

15

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