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
Jude still didn’t reply.
“What’s happening with the murder investigation?”
“I don’t know,” said Jude. “I don’t know anything about it. I suppose they’re interviewing people.”
“Did they interview you?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“They’re interviewing people who met Liam in the days before he died.”
“They must have been interested in your connection with him.”
“They asked about it.”
“Old boyfriend and girlfriend suddenly reuniting. Did they believe your story?”
“There’s nothing to believe or not to believe. I’m not a suspect, Nat. I was out of London when it happened.”
Nat gave a laugh that Jude found gratingly unpleasant.
“I wasn’t saying you were a suspect. That would be ridiculous. Why would you want to kill someone who you hadn’t met for eleven years? Why would you do that? It would be like lying to the man you were going to marry and doing a really big favor for someone you hadn’t seen for eleven years. Ridiculous.”
Again Jude didn’t answer. She just looked at Nat, at the anger rippling through his face, ticking under his temple. She couldn’t believe that this was the man she had been planning to spend the rest of her life with.
“Did they believe that? About not having seen him for eleven years? And then doing him this huge favor?”
Jude’s phone rang. She took it out and looked. It was her brother.
“You can take it, if you like,” said Nat.
“I’ll ring back.”
“You didn’t answer my question.”
“Which question?”
“The police. Believing you.”
“They were puzzled by what Liam asked me to do, just as I was puzzled by it. But I think they believe what I told them.”
“Did you tell them about how you lied to me?”
“I can’t remember exactly. They know that I’ve moved out.”
“I don’t believe you, as it happens,” said Nat. “If you’re interested.”
“Believe what?”
“That you hadn’t met Liam for eleven years.”
“No,” said Jude. “I’m not interested. As it happens.”
Nat sat back. His face had gone red. He was breathing heavily.
“So?” he said. “You said you wanted to see me. What was it about?”
Jude genuinely had to think for a moment to remember why it was she was here, why she had put herself through this. Yes, she was here to tell Nat about the crash, about how it was her who had been driving. She had believed she owed the truth to him. Now the very thought of sharing this intimate, painful story from her past with the red-faced, angry man facing her made her feel nauseous.
“It was nothing,” she said. “I think we’ve talked about everything we need to talk about.”
When she got out into the street, Jude took a few deep breaths to steady herself. Then she remembered her missed call. She took out her phone and rang her brother.