Chapters (64)
- Cover
- Dedication
- Prologue
- Five Years Later
- 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
- Epilogue
- Acknowledgements
- Canelo Crime
- About the Author
- Also by Sheila Bugler
‘You’re Vivienne’s sister,’ Jake said, ‘who’s recently moved in with her ex-husband. And now this business with Nick? Have you even thought about how that’s going to play out in the press over the coming weeks? One of the lucky eight is murdered. That’s a big enough story in its own right. Add to that the fact that the victim sent a text to one of the other eight right before he was killed. And that same person – you – found his dead body the following morning.’ Jake paused, puffing out his cheeks and shaking his head. ‘They’re going to slaughter you, Clodagh.’
Clodagh looked at Adam.
‘You told him about the text?’
‘You’re jealous,’ Jake said, before Adam could reply. ‘Took me a while but I’ve finally worked it out. It makes you sick that after all this time, Adam’s still grieving for his dead wife. That’s why you’re always so reluctant to support his career, isn’t it?’
‘That’s enough,’ Adam said, crossing the room to sit down beside her. He took her hand and held it as he spoke to Jake.
‘I think you should go now.’
‘I thought you were coming back to London with me. You’ll need to be at the TV studios first thing tomorrow morning.’
‘I’m not sure,’ Adam said, looking at Clodagh. ‘It might be better if I stay here tonight and go to London early tomorrow morning.’
‘No,’ Clodagh said. ‘You should go tonight. Get a good night’s sleep before the show tomorrow morning.’
‘I don’t like leaving you alone,’ Adam said. ‘Not after today. Jake, you can arrange a car to pick me up in the morning?’
‘I’m not a child who needs looking after,’ Clodagh said. ‘I’ll be fine. You go pack a bag and Jake will drive you back to London.’
Her body ached with tension. She wanted them both gone so she could be by herself.
‘Okay,’ Adam said, after a moment.
‘And you can wait for him in the car,’ Clodagh said, looking at Jake. ‘I assume you can find your own way out?’
Twenty minutes later, Adam was packed and ready to go.
‘You sure you’re okay about this?’ he asked, as they said goodbye in the front garden.
‘Fine,’ Clodagh said. ‘Although I wish you hadn’t told Jake about the text. You shouldn’t have done that, Adam.’
‘I wasn’t thinking,’ he said. ‘Sorry. I’d never have said a word if I’d realised you wanted it kept a secret.’
‘It’s not that,’ she said. ‘It’s just not any of his business, that’s all.’
‘I can see that now,’ Adam said. ‘I’ll have a word in the car, make sure he knows not to tell anyone else.’
‘Thanks. Now go. Call me in the morning after the show and let me know how it went.’