Contents (71)
- THE
- DAUGHTER
- MICHELLE FRANCES
- PROLOGUE
- ONE
- TWO
- THREE
- FOUR
- FIVE
- SIX
- SEVEN
- EIGHT
- NINE
- TEN
- ELEVEN
- TWELVE
- THIRTEEN
- FOURTEEN
- FIFTEEN
- SIXTEEN
- SEVENTEEN
- EIGHTEEN
- NINETEEN
- TWENTY
- TWENTY-ONE
- TWENTY-TWO
- TWENTY-THREE
- TWENTY-FOUR
- TWENTY-FIVE
- TWENTY-SIX
- TWENTY-SEVEN
- TWENTY-EIGHT
- TWENTY-NINE
- THIRTY
- THIRTY-ONE
- THIRTY-TWO
- THIRTY-THREE
- THIRTY-FOUR
- THIRTY-FIVE
- THIRTY-SIX
- THIRTY-SEVEN
- THIRTY-EIGHT
- THIRTY-NINE
- FORTY
- FORTY-ONE
- FORTY-TWO
- FORTY-THREE
- FORTY-FOUR
- FORTY-FIVE
- FORTY-SIX
- FORTY-SEVEN
- FORTY-EIGHT
- FORTY-NINE
- FIFTY
- FIFTY-ONE
- FIFTY-TWO
- FIFTY-THREE
- FIFTY-FOUR
- FIFTY-FIVE
- FIFTY-SIX
- FIFTY-SEVEN
- FIFTY-EIGHT
- FIFTY-NINE
- SIXTY
- SIXTY-ONE
- SIXTY-TWO
- SIXTY-THREE
- SIXTY-FOUR
- EPILOGUE
- AUTHOR’S NOTE
- ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
‘But this is something you read almost two years ago, right? Does it even still exist?’
‘They may have destroyed it. I’ve certainly never seen it again. If it does still exist, only a select few would have access.’
Kate’s excitement evaporated into the air. ‘So, it would be your word against a multi-million-pound company. It’s never going to stand up.’
‘But, you see, I made a copy.’
She froze. ‘You what?’
‘Not electronic. I was afraid they’d know. Be able to trace the email if I sent it to my personal account. So, I just printed it. Before I went to see my boss. Then I smuggled it out in my coat pocket.’
‘And where is this printout?’ asked Kate, her heart in her mouth.
‘Well, it was at home. In the cushions of my sofa.’
‘Oh my God.’
He reached into his coat, pulled out a brown envelope. ‘I want to give it to you.’ His eyes were pained. ‘I feel responsible. For letting them know about Becky.’
Kate took the envelope, immediately zipped it into her bag. ‘It’s not your fault, Adam. You didn’t kill her.’
‘I was going to hand it to her. We’d arranged to meet. She never turned up and I thought she’d lost interest. It wasn’t until I saw you at the conference and you told me she’d been knocked off her bike . . . I was so scared.’ Adam took a moment to compose himself. ‘I wish it could have been different,’ he said. ‘She was amazing.’ He nodded at her bag. ‘Be careful, Kate. They’ll do anything to stop that getting out.’
He gave her a half-smile and then walked back towards the park. After a short while, he left the trees and she lost him.
SIXTY
She clutched her bag on her lap all the way home, holding it tight against her chest where she could feel her heart going thump, thump, thump. The train was packed with commuters and she got a seat in a group of six, the middle of the facing-forward row. Arms jostled, and she felt an elbow in her ribs. She clutched her bag tighter. She glanced up and the man opposite her seemed – what? – intrigued? Curious? She quickly looked away.
Finally, she was off the train. Her bag over her shoulder, she followed the streams of people and they gradually dispersed as they walked further from the station. Then she was alone. She turned into her road and, as usual, approached her house warily.
She stopped. Maybe she’d just made a massive mistake bringing the papers back to her house and she should go to a cafe or something to read them. But then she dismissed the idea – it was not something to read in a public place.
Kate unlocked her front door, slowly pushing it open and listening out for sounds of a disturbance, an intruder. She could see into the shadowy hall, but was met with an empty silence. She slipped inside and did her usual check of the house, holding her bag close the whole time. Her nerves were on edge; the fridge kicking in with its loud hum made her jump. It seemed she was alone and, as far as she could tell, no one had been inside. She sat down at the kitchen table, unzipped her bag and took out the brown A4 envelope. Untucking the flap, she pulled out a handful of papers that were stapled together.