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Back The Dead Line Save as PDF
Chapters (87)
  1. Cover
  2. By the Same Author
  3. Dedication Page
  4. 1
  5. 2
  6. 3
  7. 4
  8. 5
  9. 6
  10. 7
  11. 8
  12. 9
  13. 10
  14. 11
  15. 12
  16. 13
  17. 14
  18. 15
  19. 16
  20. 17
  21. 18
  22. 19
  23. 20
  24. 21
  25. 22
  26. 23
  27. 24
  28. 25
  29. 26
  30. 27
  31. 28
  32. 29
  33. 30
  34. 31
  35. 32
  36. 33
  37. 34
  38. 35
  39. 36
  40. 37
  41. 38
  42. 39
  43. 40
  44. 41
  45. 42
  46. 43
  47. 44
  48. 45
  49. 46
  50. 47
  51. 48
  52. 49
  53. 50
  54. 51
  55. 52
  56. 53
  57. 54
  58. 55
  59. 56
  60. 57
  61. 58
  62. 59
  63. 60
  64. 61
  65. 62
  66. 63
  67. 64
  68. 65
  69. 66
  70. 67
  71. 68
  72. 69
  73. 70
  74. 71
  75. 72
  76. 73
  77. 74
  78. 75
  79. 76
  80. 77
  81. 78
  82. 79
  83. 80
  84. 81
  85. Acknowledgements
  86. Also Available by Holly Watt
  87. The Hunt and the Kill

‘Rupert Eyre was a sort of man-about-town. Good-looking when he was younger, if you like that sort of thing.’ Hessa’s voice made it clear that she didn’t. ‘But probably spent money rather than made it. He wrote poetry,’ she finished darkly.

‘What are you thinking?’ Miranda was behind Hessa and Toby, stretching languidly.

Casey met her eye. ‘That it’s probably worth a visit.’

Her phone rang.

68

68

It was Emily, voice twisted tight. ‘Casey?’

‘Emily!’ Casey struggled for the words for a second. ‘You . . . Where are you?’

‘I’m in a hotel near Guildford.’ Emily sounded as if every word was a struggle. ‘Dominic and I decided to come here for the night. There was a flood at the cottage – all the electrics blew . . .’

Casey listened to the careful lie, the truth a guess.

‘It was just easier than staying at Tilney, and we thought . . .’

‘Are you all right?’ Casey spoke calmly, slicing through the babble. She wished they had organised a duress code, a distress signal. Too late, too late. ‘Is everything OK?’

‘I’m fine.’ There was an irritation in Emily’s voice. ‘But I am desperate to see Poppy. Right now. If she’s ill, I’ll drive up to London. I’ll . . .’

Casey thought of Tawton Court, sixty miles beyond Guildford.

‘I’ll come to you,’ she said hastily. ‘I can bring Poppy Naomi.’

‘I have to see Poppy,’ Emily said again. ‘We’re in the Easton Hotel. Please come now.’

Emily spelled out the name of the hotel, gabbled the room number.

‘I’ll be there as soon as I can.’

‘I need to see her.’

‘I know.’

Miranda was by Casey’s side as she ended the call. ‘Emily and Dominic have somehow got out of Tilney Cottage,’ said Casey. ‘They’re at a hotel near Guildford.’

‘And you’ve said we’ll go?’ said Miranda.

‘Yes. But Emily’s made up some odd excuse for leaving the cottage. I don’t know what is going on.’

‘How did she sound?’

‘Stressed. But she’s been stressed for weeks. She didn’t respond to Naomi, but I don’t know if she even picked up on it.’

They sat there for a moment, contemplating the risks.

‘We can’t take the baby,’ Miranda said eventually.

‘No,’ said Hessa quietly.

‘But Emily’s frantic to see her,’ said Casey. ‘She’ll lose it if we don’t take Poppy. She sounds on the brink.’

‘It’s too dangerous,’ Miranda objected. ‘You have no idea what is going on there. Look at the airport, and Tilney Cottage. This could be the third attempt to trap you.’