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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

‘I am so sorry to bother you,’ the woman said, widening her eyes to emphasise her sincerity, ‘but I’m Xena Wills from the TV news. I’m trying to find someone who’s willing to be interviewed about the old Channel View holiday park. Do you know anyone?’

Marnie shook her head.

‘Oh…’ The woman’s smile faltered, but soon returned. ‘You’re walking your dogs; you must be local! Are you local? Yes? Fantastic! Well then, wouldn’t you like to be on TV? Honestly, it’ll take five minutes, simple questions and we’d be terribly grateful.’ She smiled as persuasively as she could. Marnie took a step backwards. Her throat was tight, as it always was when strangers tried to talk to her. She touched her lips and shook her head, hoping the woman would understand.

‘What is it?’ the woman asked. ‘What’s the matter? Don’t you understand English? Oh! Are you deaf?’

Marnie nodded, because it was easier that way, then she turned and walked away, the dogs at her side. The woman gave a brief, disbelieving laugh and said something to her colleague. Marnie caught only one word, ‘inbred’.

Good luck finding anyone who will talk to you round here, Marnie thought.

Stories still circulated in Severn Sands about what happened when the press piled into the town in the wake of Alice Lang’s disappearance and the headlines that ensued.

Tina Truss, who worked part-time as a cleaner at Channel View, had given an interview to a personable young man who had taken her out for cocktails and who said he was freelance but turned out to be working for the News of the World. In the interview, Tina had put forward every rumour she’d ever heard about Alice Lang, and the holiday park. The stories that followed were of wife-swapping and pop-up bordellos, prostitutes renting caravans so they could ‘entertain punters’ during the summer season. People in the town still hadn’t forgiven Tina for the things she’d said, even though she claimed her words had been taken out of context and that she’d been duped.

Marnie’s sympathy for Tina was limited. After the interview was published, the Trusses had new windows put in and the front of their house had been re-cladded in mock stone so that it stood out from the pebble dash on the rest of the street. Every time Marnie walked past, even though the Trusses had long since moved, she was reminded of the awful things Tina had said about Alice and the shame her betrayal had spread through the town.

4

The closer Will came to Severn Sands, the more dread he felt. He would have done anything to give Alice’s story a happier ending. He would have given up the rest of his life for a single day, a single hour, even another single minute with her.