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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

‘Yes,’ Oliver said, his eyes downcast. Louisa wrestled with what her head was telling her – to get Oliver out of the house as quickly as possible – and with what her heart was saying – to keep him there and offer comfort. Her heart won. She took him into the lounge and they sat side by side on the sofa.

‘They want the names of everyone at the party. Like you said,’ Louisa told him.

‘Oh, I see. I just hope they find someone who saw her leave with another person or something.’

‘That might be good for you, Oliver, but aren’t you worried that if that’s the case, then harm could have come to your wife?’ Louisa frowned at the broken man beside her. Broken because his wife was missing, or broken because he knew he’d be implicated if they didn’t find out she left with someone else? It seemed selfish for him to think that way.

‘Of course I don’t want to think anything bad has happened to Melissa. But I don’t want to be under suspicion! I know they are looking to find something, anything to pin this on me, Lou. I know it. They want it to be me.’

‘Want what to be you? She’s missing. Not dead. There’s nothing to suggest she’s dead, is there?’

‘I don’t know, Lou. But if she doesn’t come back soon, that’s the only possible conclusion, isn’t it?’

‘God, Oliver.’ Louisa shuffled up even closer to him, placing her hand on his thigh. ‘Don’t think like that. You have to stay positive. You said she’s disappeared for days at a time before. She’ll come back.’

‘I don’t think she will, Lou-Lou.’ His gaze found hers, and for a moment the sadness within them made her want to hug him. But something shifted behind those dark-brown eyes. Something that made Louisa’s insides shaky.

It was the second time he’d made a comment like that. Like he knew something had happened to Melissa.

Louisa stared at the man beside her. She’d known him well once. She’d loved him. And apart from the fact that he’d deserted her, she’d trusted him. Twenty-two years was a long time, though. People could change.

18

THE FAVOUR

Wednesday p.m.

With the comings and goings from the police and Oliver, Louisa had forgotten to make up enough bottles for Noah. He’d awoken with hungry cries, demanding to be fed, and she couldn’t make one quick enough. Powdered milk puffed up in the air as she scooped it too vigorously from the tin to the bottle, her fingers fumbling with the pressure of time. Tears of frustration bubbled at her lower lids.

Calm yourself.

Take your time.