Chapters (78)
- Title Page
- Dedication
- 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
- Sixty-Five
- Sixty-Six
- Sixty-Seven
- Sixty-Eight
- Sixty-Nine
- Seventy
- Acknowledgments
- About the Author
- Remarkable Praise for Nicci French
- Also by Nicci French
- About the Publisher
“As you said, I’m his brother. Why don’t you leave it to me? This shouldn’t be your mess to sort out.”
“Really?”
“Really.”
“How will you set about it?”
Dermot shrugged. “I guess I have to start with finding out the basic stuff, like what his debts were, what he was owed, if anything, what was in his bank, things like that.”
“That sounds like it would be difficult.”
“I can always ask someone,” Dermot said vaguely. “There must be people who deal in things like this. Leave it in my incapable hands. I’ll let you know how it goes.”
Jude thought for a moment. The idea of leaving all this behind her was so tempting but she looked at Dermot, the straggly hair, the dark rings under his eyes. She couldn’t. Besides, she had an idea.
“My brother’s an accountant. He can suggest something. Or someone.”
“I guess we can keep him in reserve.”
“No,” said Jude decisively. “He’ll do it.”
Twenty-Five
At first, Jude didn’t recognize Benny. She remembered him as small, wiry, sharp-featured, but the man who came to the door was quite chubby, with a stomach billowing over his trousers, jowly cheeks and thinning hair. He frowned and for a moment looked more like the Benny she had briefly known.
“Who are you?”
“Jude.”
“Jude? Jude! What the fuck? Jude Winter. Of course you are. You’ve hardly changed at all. What are you doing here?”
Jude saw his expression change, saw him slowly understand why she was there.
“I’m up for a few days, staying with my parents, and I just thought I could call round.”
She let the sentence trail away. A woman had appeared behind him, her bright blond hair tied back in a tight bun. She was alarmingly pregnant, and one hand was laid protectively over the tight dome of her stomach.
“Yolanda?” said Jude. “Is that you?”
“Jude,” said Yolanda. “Long time, no see.”
Jude had met Benny a couple of times after the accident and her breakup with Liam, but the last time she had seen Yolanda was when she was vomiting on the road beside the mangled car.
“Wow,” she said. “I had no idea. I mean, congratulations. When’s it due?”
“Six days ago.”
They both looked at her, waiting for her to say why she had turned up on the doorstep after so many years. Jude barely knew herself.
“It’s probably a bad time,” she said awkwardly.
“I’ve got a few minutes,” said Benny.
She sat on the small sofa and he took a chair. Preparations for the baby were everywhere—piles of miniature babygro, packs of disposable nappies, a Moses basket still wrapped in its plastic, a soft crocheted blanket beside it.
“Exciting,” said Jude.
“Terrifying,” said Benny, but he was smiling.
“I don’t really know why I’m here. I—well, you’ve probably read about everything.”