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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

‘Ah, no – it’s because Louisa doesn’t drive. If she drove we’d get another car and she wouldn’t have to wait for me to drive her around,’ Brian said.

Louisa saw a frown appear on Oliver’s face. ‘You don’t drive anymore, Lou?’

‘No. Not for years, and I’ve lost the confidence now.’

Oliver nodded slowly, his expression giving the impression of understanding. Why was he looking at her like that? Oliver must’ve caught her confusion.

‘It’s understandable, given the circumstances,’ he said, looking directly at her.

‘Circumstances?’ She had no idea what he was referring to.

‘The accident. When you were at college – wasn’t long after you passed your test, was it; so it was always bound to have a big effect.’

‘You never said that was why you didn’t drive, Louisa?’ Brian turned towards her.

‘That’s because I didn’t have an accident. You must be mistaken, Oliver.’ Louisa was confused. She’d never been in an accident.

‘Oh, okay. Memory playing tricks, I guess. Must’ve been someone else from college,’ he said, giving her a strange look – one that made Louisa feel like he may as well have given her a nod and a wink. It was as though he was going along with whatever she said, like they were colluding in a lie.

‘Right, come on, mate,’ Brian said, turning his attention back to Oliver. ‘Let’s choose some food.’ He got his phone out and opened an app. Oliver sidled in beside Brian, and they both began scrolling through the online menus.

The buddy approach from Brian was making Louisa’s skin crawl, but she was glad to have moved on from the conversation being about her. She was going to have to tell Brian she didn’t want Oliver hanging around. She didn’t feel comfortable being around him, knowing how things stood with Melissa. More than that, she didn’t want to be around him because she now felt sure that he knew more about what had happened to her back at college than she did.

24

THE DRUNK

Saturday a.m. – Day 8 post-party

Brian stumbled into the bedroom, knocking hard against the chest of drawers before finding the bed and falling onto it. Louisa tutted, though he hadn’t actually woken her. She’d been struggling to drop off, probably due to her long daytime nap. That, and the fact her mind had been working overtime wondering what Brian and Oliver were talking about at the pub, meant she was far too wound up to sleep. Now, with him close to her, his uncoordinated movements, together with the overpowering smell of lager, made sleep impossible. She checked her phone. One-thirty-eight in the morning. Where the hell had he and Oliver been until this time?

‘Pub have a lock-in, did it?’ she said, her voice edged with annoyance.