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Back The Scarlet Dress Save as PDF
Chapters (84)
  1. Dedication
  2. Prologue
  3. 1
  4. 2
  5. 3
  6. 4
  7. 5
  8. 6
  9. 7
  10. 8
  11. 9
  12. 10
  13. 11
  14. 12
  15. 13
  16. 14
  17. 15
  18. 16
  19. 17
  20. 18
  21. 19
  22. 20
  23. Friday
  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. Saturday
  41. 37
  42. 38
  43. 39
  44. 40
  45. 41
  46. 42
  47. 43
  48. 44
  49. 45
  50. 46
  51. 47
  52. 48
  53. Sunday
  54. 49
  55. 50
  56. 51
  57. 52
  58. 53
  59. 54
  60. 55
  61. 56
  62. 57
  63. 58
  64. 59
  65. 60
  66. 61
  67. 62
  68. 63
  69. 64
  70. 65
  71. 66
  72. 67
  73. 68
  74. 69
  75. 70
  76. One Week Later
  77. 71
  78. Afterwards
  79. 72
  80. Acknowledgments
  81. Reading Group Questions
  82. More from Louise Douglas
  83. About the Author
  84. About Boldwood Books

‘You’ve done well for yourself. Made your mother proud. We’re pleased for you.’

He turned the car into the Aust Road, one wheel splashing through a puddle, spraying the pavement and pulled up outside the guesthouse. He turned off the engine and they sat for a moment, condensation forming on the inside of the windows. The doors were still locked.

‘Listen to me, Will,’ Mr deVillars said slowly, ‘you need to be careful. You’re standing on very shaky ground. Guy has a watertight alibi for the evening the girl was murdered, whereas you…’ He let the words hang for a moment and then said: ‘I know that John Morahan found you making threats outside Caravan 49 that evening. I know he took you back to your chalet. I know that you, your mother, John, all lied to the police about this. That’s an offence in itself. All three of you would be in trouble if that came to light.’

Will said nothing. His mouth was dry.

‘I also know that you went out again, Will, in the early hours. You were seen staggering around the funfair, out of your head.’

‘How…? Who?’

‘That doesn’t matter. What matters is you were in the park at the time the girl disappeared. You were so drunk you didn’t know what you were doing, you were raging incoherently…’

‘I didn’t hurt Alice.’

‘Or you don’t remember hurting her?’

Will suppressed a groan. He couldn’t have hurt Alice. He couldn’t have. He loved her. Even drunk as he was, he wouldn’t have hurt her. No.

‘You see the problem,’ said Mr deVillars, ‘if people go about making accusations about other people?’

The old man pressed a switch and unlocked the car doors. Will was in such a hurry to get out that he fell onto his hands and knees on the pavement.

44

As Marnie walked the dogs that afternoon she was relieved to see that most of the media pack had gone away. There was nothing left for them to see. It had been a brief invasion.

She walked towards the Big House. Mrs deVillars was standing at the top window, beneath the gable, gazing over the old holiday park.

The last parts of the flume were being demolished and the remains of its carcass stacked ready to be taken away. Posts and tapes marked out the spaces for new houses.

Marnie paused to let the dogs sniff at the verge when she heard footsteps behind her. It was Gabriel. She gave a tentative smile.

‘We’ve been waiting for the police to finish,’ Gabriel said. ‘They’ve done what they need to do. We can’t go near where we… where they… you know. But apart from that we can get back to work. Head office will be happy.’ He leaned down to make a fuss of Tessy. The shoulders of his bulky yellow coat were slick with rain drops.