Chapters (81)
- Cover
- Praise for Tess Stimson
- Dedication
- part one
- chapter 01
- chapter 02
- chapter 03
- chapter 04
- chapter 05
- chapter 06
- chapter 07
- chapter 08
- chapter 09
- chapter 10
- chapter 11
- chapter 12
- chapter 13
- chapter 14
- chapter 15
- chapter 16
- chapter 17
- chapter 18
- chapter 19
- chapter 20
- chapter 21
- chapter 22
- chapter 23
- chapter 24
- chapter 25
- chapter 26
- chapter 27
- chapter 28
- chapter 29
- chapter 30
- chapter 31
- chapter 32
- chapter 33
- chapter 34
- chapter 35
- chapter 36
- part two
- chapter 37
- chapter 38
- chapter 39
- chapter 40
- chapter 41
- chapter 42
- chapter 43
- chapter 44
- chapter 45
- chapter 46
- chapter 47
- chapter 48
- chapter 49
- part three
- chapter 50
- chapter 51
- chapter 52
- chapter 53
- chapter 54
- chapter 55
- chapter 56
- chapter 57
- chapter 58
- chapter 59
- chapter 60
- chapter 61
- chapter 62
- chapter 63
- chapter 64
- chapter 65
- chapter 66
- chapter 67
- chapter 68
- part four
- chapter 69
- ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
- Keep Reading …
- About the Author
- By the same author:
- About the Publisher
But even Millie makes mistakes. When the police found her bloodstained running shoes during their cursory search two days ago, she was quick on her feet with the nosebleed story, but she must have known Stacey would blow that out of the water unless she managed to persuade her to sing from the same hymn sheet, which clearly didn’t happen.
And now there’s Felix’s phone.
Why would Millie keep it? Surely she realised how incriminating it would be. Is there something on it she doesn’t want anyone to see? Or did she bring it with her after she killed Felix, and simply hide it at the back of the airing cupboard until she had a chance to dispose of it properly?
Stop worrying, Dad, Meddie tells me, with alarming insouciance. Even if Mum killed him, she’s way too smart to get caught.
I order the kids delivery pizza, and watch TV with them until it’s time for bed. They’ve only just gone upstairs when Millie finally gets home around nine.
I leap to my feet as she hangs up her coat and goes into the kitchen. ‘I thought I smelled pizza,’ she says crossly. ‘We’ve talked about the kids and fast food, Tom.’
‘I thought we might suspend the normal rules given their mother had just been arrested for murder,’ I say.
‘I wasn’t arrested,’ she says. ‘For murder or anything else.’
‘So what happened?’
‘Nothing happened. I just gave a statement, that’s all.’
God, my wife can be infuriating.
‘Did the lawyer meet you there?’ I ask.
‘She did, not that I needed her,’ Millie says tartly. ‘The police didn’t ask me anything they haven’t asked before, Tom. They don’t have any new evidence. If they did, they’d have charged me. They still don’t know Felix’s disappearance isn’t voluntary. They’re just fishing.’
She reaches into the fridge for a bottle of chilled Montrachet and pours herself a large glass. She offers one to me, but I decline.
‘How did Felix’s phone end up in the back of our airing cupboard?’ I ask.
‘I have no idea,’ she says.
‘Millie—’
‘Tom, I’ve just spent the last three hours answering questions,’ she says irritably. ‘I really don’t need another inquisition from you. I’ve no idea how his phone ended up in our house, but I can tell you I didn’t put it in the airing cupboard, so you’ll be relieved to know the police won’t find my bloody fingerprints on it.’
‘Millie, I’m on your side,’ I say. ‘I don’t care what you’ve done. All I care about is making sure this doesn’t come back to bite you.’
She exhales. ‘I know. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to snap.’