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Back The Daughter Save as PDF
Contents ( 71)
  1. THE
  2. DAUGHTER
  3. MICHELLE FRANCES
  4. PROLOGUE
  5. ONE
  6. TWO
  7. THREE
  8. FOUR
  9. FIVE
  10. SIX
  11. SEVEN
  12. EIGHT
  13. NINE
  14. TEN
  15. ELEVEN
  16. TWELVE
  17. THIRTEEN
  18. FOURTEEN
  19. FIFTEEN
  20. SIXTEEN
  21. SEVENTEEN
  22. EIGHTEEN
  23. NINETEEN
  24. TWENTY
  25. TWENTY-ONE
  26. TWENTY-TWO
  27. TWENTY-THREE
  28. TWENTY-FOUR
  29. TWENTY-FIVE
  30. TWENTY-SIX
  31. TWENTY-SEVEN
  32. TWENTY-EIGHT
  33. TWENTY-NINE
  34. THIRTY
  35. THIRTY-ONE
  36. THIRTY-TWO
  37. THIRTY-THREE
  38. THIRTY-FOUR
  39. THIRTY-FIVE
  40. THIRTY-SIX
  41. THIRTY-SEVEN
  42. THIRTY-EIGHT
  43. THIRTY-NINE
  44. FORTY
  45. FORTY-ONE
  46. FORTY-TWO
  47. FORTY-THREE
  48. FORTY-FOUR
  49. FORTY-FIVE
  50. FORTY-SIX
  51. FORTY-SEVEN
  52. FORTY-EIGHT
  53. FORTY-NINE
  54. FIFTY
  55. FIFTY-ONE
  56. FIFTY-TWO
  57. FIFTY-THREE
  58. FIFTY-FOUR
  59. FIFTY-FIVE
  60. FIFTY-SIX
  61. FIFTY-SEVEN
  62. FIFTY-EIGHT
  63. FIFTY-NINE
  64. SIXTY
  65. SIXTY-ONE
  66. SIXTY-TWO
  67. SIXTY-THREE
  68. SIXTY-FOUR
  69. EPILOGUE
  70. AUTHOR’S NOTE
  71. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

‘I’m in,’ said Grace and Kate threw her a grateful look. She looked around the room again, waiting for others to follow, but some glanced away, some smiled apologetically.

‘In order for it to work, it really needs to be all of you. A united front. It makes the case much stronger,’ she added, but her words fell to the ground. The silence grew awkward and suddenly Kate felt foolish.

‘OK . . . well, thanks for coming anyway and I’m sorry for wasting your time.’ She suddenly had to get out of there. She gathered together the files and hurriedly stuffed them back into her bag and then, clutching it all tightly, made an embarrassed exit.

Grace ran after her. ‘I’m sorry.’

‘It’s OK,’ said Kate quickly. In truth she was deeply upset.

‘They’re just so preoccupied. Take it from me, I know.’

Kate’s phone beeped, and she dug it out, expecting it to be a text message from Tim, seeing when she might be home, but it was an email. From the office of Dr Zayan.

She opened it and read it through. Eyes shining, she looked at Grace then walked back into the living room and resumed her place.

‘Listen up, please, everyone. I know you want to go home but I’ve something else to say.’ She held up her phone. ‘I’ve just had an email from a Dr Bernhard Zayan in France. I went to see him recently as he believes that herbicides have caused cancer in a number of school children in his village whose school backs onto vineyards. In particular, products made by the same company that makes those used here.’ She started to read the email aloud.

‘Dear Kate,

I have been thinking about your visit a lot since you left. I have also been thinking about the people you told me about in your English village. They remind me of the people here in my French village and I know what it is like to want to help, to seek justice for them. I admire you wanting to do this.

This will be a complex journey, full of shocks and outrage. Did you know that the president of the main cancer charity in France was previously the chief executive officer of a major agrochemical company? How is that, you ask yourself? Because this is a tightly controlled industry, where big money is at stake. Millions – billions – of dollars.

Some say these corporations will never admit it. But that is also what they said about the tobacco industry. So maybe there is hope.

Against my better judgement, I will help. I will write up whatever reports and evidence you need. I will tell you what I know about Crixus and will let you have access to my research. Your friends in England deserve more people on their side and if I can be one of them, I will.’

Kate looked up. She knew at once that something had been ignited. It wasn’t just her anymore; there were other people on board. A doctor, a professional, had offered to back them.