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Back The Dead Line
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

‘We would, ’ Casey repeated, ‘keep you and your family out of it.’

A gust of wind blew around the courtyard, sending a door banging outside.

‘Why should I trust you?’ Vivienne’s voice was sullen.

‘You don’t have to,’ said Casey. ‘But we will have to go to the police with what we know already. And then it will be the police that come for you, not us.’

‘No,’ said Vivienne. ‘Please. You don’t understand. We were so desperate for Theo. We would have done anything. Anything.’

‘I know,’ said Miranda gently.

‘How,’ said Casey, ‘did this all begin?’

‘Do you promise?’

Casey looked at her. ‘I promise.’

Vivienne stared at her, for a long time. Then she climbed back onto the armchair.

‘It was Dr Greystone.’ Her voice was dull. ‘In Harley Street. We had been seeing him for months. Years. And nothing was working. Not the drugs, not the IVF. Nothing. It becomes your whole world. You can’t think about anything else. And every month, it gets worse, as time slips away. And one day you get one more call from one more friend – “We’re pregnant!” And you can’t stop crying.’

‘I’m sorry,’ said Casey automatically, thinking: Dr Greystone. Dr Greystone.

‘It cost a fortune too,’ Vivienne said. ‘An absolute fortune. And people, who really mean the best, start saying, “Shouldn’t you and Robin get a move on? You’ve been married for years now.” And you can’t believe anyone could be so stupid, and thoughtless, and cruel.’

‘As if it’s so easy,’ said Miranda.

‘Exactly.’ Vivienne spun towards her. ‘When you’re growing up, and you’re reading Just Seventeen and More, they all imply a man just has to look at you . . . And then . . .’

‘So what happened,’ Casey asked gently, ‘with Dr Greystone?’

‘We had been trying and trying,’ said Vivienne. ‘And I could get pregnant. I just couldn’t stay pregnant. No matter what they did. They tried everything. And one appointment, Dr Greystone just asked, had I considered surrogacy? And I hadn’t. I mean, I knew that some people did it. In America, and places like that. But it’s different in the UK. Much more complicated. I could never understand the idea of women just giving up their babies. To go through all that and then just give them away. What if they didn’t hand them over? I just couldn’t take anything more, not then.’

Vivienne had picked up the stuffed lion without thinking, stroking its golden coat.

‘So what did he recommend?’ Casey was lining up china chips on the coffee table. ‘Dr Greystone?’

‘First, he suggested Nepal,’ said Vivienne.

‘Why Nepal?’ Miranda’s voice was calm.