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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

They chatted for a moment or two, catching up on elapsed years before Emily asked: ‘Why did you call? Is there something you want from me?’

‘I’m looking for information about our mutual acquaintance, Guy deVillars. I need to know if there’s any reason why he might have needed a large sum of money quickly a few months back – a divorce settlement or a court case or something, perhaps?’

‘O-K. This is something to do with the holiday park murder, right?’

‘It could be. Guy sold the park against the express wishes of his parents and it’d be good to know why.’

Emily promised to look into it. She said she’d let Will know if she came up with anything.

Next Will called Tony Costello at the Avon and Somerset Police. Tony answered in a pissed-off tone of voice that made it clear to Will that he was at work and didn’t appreciate being interrupted.

‘Just a quick one,’ Will promised. ‘The holiday park case. Remember the witness who said they saw Alice walking down to the estuary in the early hours on the night she disappeared?’

‘Yep.’

‘Whoever it was must have been lying.’

‘Yeah, we worked that out for ourselves.’

‘So this witness – and I’m guessing his name is Guy deVillars – will now be your prime suspect, right? You’ll be interviewing him as soon as you can?’

‘It wasn’t Guy,’ Tony said quietly.

‘No?’

‘No.’

‘Oh. Who was it then?’

‘You know I can’t tell you that.’

‘But they, this witness, they positively identified Alice? They told you it was definitely her?’

‘Hang on…’ The sound became muffled and then Will heard footsteps. He guessed Tony was moving away from his desk. When he next spoke it was in a forced whisper. ‘Listen, Will, I know how you felt about the girl but you can’t keep calling me like this. I only called you yesterday because we’re mates.’

‘I know, I won’t, but this is important.’

‘OK. What I will tell you is that we attempted to re-interview the witness yesterday but we couldn’t because she’s elderly now and frail. You got that?’

Will inhaled deeply. ‘I’ve got it.’

Camille deVillars then. Not only had she been the one to find Alice’s dress, but it was she who had misdirected the investigation in the first place to make everyone believe Alice had drowned.

Why would she have done that if not to protect her son?

24

After the group lessons, Marnie and Jenna had a session with a client whose dog had behavioural issues and then Jenna left and Marnie let the dogs out and watched them revelling in the peace of the winter garden. She tried to keep her worries at bay, but her mind was too full.