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Back The Missing Wife Save as PDF
Chapters (64)
  1. THE MISSING WIFE
  2. PRAISE FOR SAM CARRINGTON
  3. Dedication
  4. 1
  5. 2
  6. 3
  7. 4
  8. 5
  9. 6
  10. 7
  11. 8
  12. 9
  13. 10
  14. 11
  15. 12
  16. 13
  17. 14
  18. 15
  19. 16
  20. 17
  21. 18
  22. 19
  23. 20
  24. 21
  25. 22
  26. 23
  27. 24
  28. 25
  29. 26
  30. 27
  31. 28
  32. 29
  33. 30
  34. 31
  35. 32
  36. 33
  37. 34
  38. 35
  39. 36
  40. 37
  41. 38
  42. 39
  43. 40
  44. 41
  45. 42
  46. 43
  47. 44
  48. 45
  49. 46
  50. 47
  51. 48
  52. 49
  53. 50
  54. 51
  55. 52
  56. 53
  57. THE EPILOGUE
  58. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
  59. Prologue
  60. Chapter One
  61. Chapter Two
  62. About the Author
  63. By the same author
  64. About the Publisher

‘Lou-Lou … come … here—’ The voice sounded alien to her, the words bubbling, as though they were being spoken under water. He was drowning in his own blood.

Oliver was going to die.

Louisa went to him, warily stepping around Melissa. Despite wanting him punished, she didn’t want this. This was going to have serious repercussions. I’m going to be next. Was Melissa going to make sure she shared the same fate as Oliver, given they shared the same crime? Where was the knife? Louisa cast her phone light around as she approached Oliver, but couldn’t see it. She stooped so she was closer to Oliver, but made sure Melissa was still in her line of sight. She didn’t trust her now. She shouldn’t have trusted her in the first place.

Too late now.

‘What do you want to say, Oliver?’

His hand reached up and grabbed the collar of her coat and with what must have been his last ounce of strength, pulled her towards him, causing her to drop her phone. The light went from Oliver’s face, but now she was so close, she could see it clearly. See the fear in his eyes.

‘I did it because I loved you,’ he said, the sounds of the words light, quiet, like tiny puffs of air. ‘Forgive me.’

Louisa opened her mouth to speak, but Melissa pitched towards them.

‘Don’t you dare, Louisa. This is his punishment. He dies without forgiveness.’

‘But, Melissa, he shouldn’t die at all,’ Louisa said, brushing away Oliver’s hand from her coat and straightening. ‘His punishment should be life behind bars, not the release of death!’

‘I’ve told you. Don’t you listen? He won’t go to prison.’

‘But we will. If we let him die, we will.’ Louisa could hear her own begging tone. ‘Do you want that? To let him win? He’ll have taken your sister’s life and yours and mine. Why should we suffer for him?’

‘We won’t. Because no one will know what we’ve done.’

Louisa wanted to argue the what ‘we’ve’ done part, but the sudden cessation of gurgling brought her attention back to Oliver. Melissa’s gaze followed hers as they both stared over at him.

‘Oh well, I think it’s already settled,’ Melissa said as she bent to pick up the fallen phone and pointed the light directly at Oliver.

The light shone onto his face – his open eyes.

He didn’t blink; his pupils didn’t dilate.

‘Fuck’s sake, Melissa, he’s dead. Now what are we going to do?’

51

THE PLAN

The two women faced one another other, their postures mirrored: legs apart, hands on hips, each mind silently and rapidly attempting to process the scene, work out their next move.