BooksBarbecue
Back The Favor Save as PDF
Chapters (78)
  1. Title Page
  2. Dedication
  3. Prologue
  4. One
  5. Two
  6. Three
  7. Four
  8. Five
  9. Six
  10. Seven
  11. Eight
  12. Nine
  13. Ten
  14. Eleven
  15. Twelve
  16. Thirteen
  17. Fourteen
  18. Fifteen
  19. Sixteen
  20. Seventeen
  21. Eighteen
  22. Nineteen
  23. Twenty
  24. Twenty-One
  25. Twenty-Two
  26. Twenty-Three
  27. Twenty-Four
  28. Twenty-Five
  29. Twenty-Six
  30. Twenty-Seven
  31. Twenty-Eight
  32. Twenty-Nine
  33. Thirty
  34. Thirty-One
  35. Thirty-Two
  36. Thirty-Three
  37. Thirty-Four
  38. Thirty-Five
  39. Thirty-Six
  40. Thirty-Seven
  41. Thirty-Eight
  42. Thirty-Nine
  43. Forty
  44. Forty-One
  45. Forty-Two
  46. Forty-Three
  47. Forty-Four
  48. Forty-Five
  49. Forty-Six
  50. Forty-Seven
  51. Forty-Eight
  52. Forty-Nine
  53. Fifty
  54. Fifty-One
  55. Fifty-Two
  56. Fifty-Three
  57. Fifty-Four
  58. Fifty-Five
  59. Fifty-Six
  60. Fifty-Seven
  61. Fifty-Eight
  62. Fifty-Nine
  63. Sixty
  64. Sixty-One
  65. Sixty-Two
  66. Sixty-Three
  67. Sixty-Four
  68. Sixty-Five
  69. Sixty-Six
  70. Sixty-Seven
  71. Sixty-Eight
  72. Sixty-Nine
  73. Seventy
  74. Acknowledgments
  75. About the Author
  76. Remarkable Praise for Nicci French
  77. Also by Nicci French
  78. About the Publisher

The woman was telling her that she should get her cuts properly cleaned and that there was a danger of tetanus. Jude wanted to say that this wasn’t correct, but she was overwhelmed with pain. She knew it would recede. She mumbled something incoherent to the woman and headed for home. With almost every step she had to support herself by clutching a railing or leaning against a tree.

Back in the flat, she ran a bath and pulled her clothes off. She saw that her right ankle was already starting to swell up. She had to untie the laces of the shoe and then gently loosen them so that she could ease the shoe off, and even then she couldn’t suppress a whimper of distress.

She eased herself into the bath. The sensation of the hot water on her scraped skin actually made her sob and she gave way to it, crying and crying, so that her face was wet with tears and sweat and snot. It felt like even her own body had turned against her.

As she got out of the bath, she placed her right foot gingerly on the floor. It was painful but it didn’t feel as if anything was torn or broken. It would be better tomorrow or the day after.

She pulled on a pair of tracksuit bottoms and a shirt. She didn’t know what to do. She knew she should eat something. She thought of ordering a takeaway but the idea of anything like pizza or sushi or curry turned her stomach. She looked in the cupboard and found some rice. She cooked it, and then grated cheese over it. She didn’t watch TV or look online. She just sat at the table and ate half of the rice and drank water. When she was finished, she looked at the washing up that had accumulated, but couldn’t face it. It could wait till the following day. Then she went to bed. She couldn’t think of what else to do.

Tomorrow was going to be different, she told herself.

Sixty-Two

When she woke the next morning it was after eight. It took her a few moments to realize where she was and what day it was. She was brought to herself by the twinge of discomfort as she flexed her right foot. She eased herself into a sitting position on the edge of the bed and touched the ground with her toe. Not too bad. It felt sore but it was getting better. She stood up. Yes, she could do it.