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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

‘Still, I think it would look bad. Especially if they found out he was your ex, and that he was also the last person to see you before you disappeared from your own party.’ The intensity of Brian’s stare bore through Louisa’s skull into her brain.

What the hell was he implying?

19

THE APPEAL

Thursday – Day 6 post-party

Louisa fidgeted – her fingers relentlessly twisting her gold wedding ring while her right leg bounced. Oliver placed a hand on her knee.

‘You’re making me nervous,’ he said.

‘I’m sorry. I can’t stop it.’ Even with his hand resting on her leg, it still bobbed beneath it. She gently pushed his hand away. What would people think if they saw that?

‘Why are you so nervy?’ he said, his eyes widening.

It was a good question. The bubbling noises her tummy was making, the sick feeling consuming her, were products of anxiety – she knew that. Taking some of her tablets to combat it might have helped, but since the party, and because of her continued forgetfulness, she’d been afraid they were making her worse, not better, so she’d decided not to take any more. The initial worrying she’d been doing prior to arriving at Newton police station had increased twofold the second she walked through the large glass doors and had been greeted with a curious look from DS Mack. He too was clearly questioning why she’d turned up with Oliver Dunmore.

Louisa reran the conversation with Brian in her mind. He’d been adamant she should accompany Oliver to the appeal. When she’d said she couldn’t go, couldn’t possibly take a baby to it, Brian had called Tiff. Of course he had. She was his go-to for everything these days it seemed. Tiff was more than happy to oblige, saying she’d take Noah out for the entire day to give Louisa a break. Once she was back from the appeal, she could ‘just sleep’, Brian had stated.

Louisa had continued to argue about it, convinced that by going she was likely to open up Pandora’s box. Brian didn’t even question her about what she’d meant by that, which was just as well, as she wasn’t altogether sure herself. Instead, he’d reaffirmed what he’d already said – that he was worried how it would look if she didn’t go. Louisa didn’t understand that thinking in the slightest. In her opinion, it looked worse that she was by his side. People would jump to conclusions about them – assume they were having an affair and that they’d ‘got rid’ of Melissa.

Maybe she was overthinking it.

Maybe not.

Judging by the way DS Mack had looked at her, she was inclined to believe the latter.

‘I’m not sure,’ she finally said in answer to Oliver’s question.