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Back The Little Lies
Chapters (56)
  1. Cover
  2. Love crime, thriller and mystery books?
  3. Also by Valerie Keogh
  4. Dedication
  5. 1
  6. 2
  7. 3
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. 7
  12. 8
  13. 9
  14. 10
  15. 11
  16. 12
  17. 13
  18. 14
  19. 15
  20. 16
  21. 17
  22. 18
  23. 19
  24. 20
  25. 21
  26. 22
  27. 23
  28. 24
  29. 25
  30. 26
  31. 27
  32. 28
  33. 29
  34. 30
  35. 31
  36. 32
  37. 33
  38. 34
  39. 35
  40. 36
  41. 37
  42. 38
  43. 39
  44. 40
  45. 41
  46. 42
  47. 43
  48. 44
  49. 45
  50. 46
  51. 47
  52. 48
  53. Acknowledgements
  54. A note from the publisher
  55. Love crime, thriller and mystery books?
  56. You will also enjoy:

Nor did Victor see him the following days. Trouble in paradise again. He wondered if Jodie had shown him the photograph, if Flynn had seen what Jodie refused to acknowledge. Or maybe, they’d simply decided they weren’t, after all, right for each other.

Victor had nothing else to do apart from stalking Jodie, but the weather was turning colder, standing for long periods of time becoming increasingly uncomfortable. Her shifts in the new nursing home were erratic so from necessity, he waited on the corner of her road every morning. When she’d not appeared by 7.30am, he knew she wasn’t working that day and headed home, returning at ten. If she were meeting her friend in the city, or going shopping, she rarely left before that.

That day, when a little after eleven she left the house in casual clothes, he knew she was heading for a walk. Often, he struggled to keep up with her long, brisk strides but he was in luck and she trudged along, making it easier for him to follow.

Normally, and he’d followed her along this walk a number of times, she’d spend several minutes at Cliffe Fort. He supposed she admired the view from the headland across the Thames and towards the Cliffe marshes or maybe she was struck by the historic importance of the structure itself. Victor thought it was a dump, and the Thames a cesspit.

Unusually, she reached the fort and immediately turned without stopping. Had she been looking up, she’d have stared straight at him, but she kept her eyes down as she faced into the breeze that blew across from the estuary, her hair swirling out behind her.

Victor was cold. He’d not expected her to head out for a walk and he wasn’t dressed for the biting chill so it was with a grunt of relief that he saw her stop at a café and go inside.

It was a small café. Unless she kept her head down, she was bound to see him. He hesitated with his fingers grasping the door handle before deciding not only to go in, but to go in and join her.

The café was busy, too noisy for his taste but at least there were tables free. Jodie was ordering at the counter and didn’t notice him enter. He stood reading the menu on the whiteboard only a few feet away and watched her. Even from her profile, he could see she looked peaky, her eyes red. She wasn’t ageing well, he decided with grim satisfaction. Soon, she’d look as worn and weary as he did.