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Back The Widow Save as PDF
Chapters (92)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. PART I
  4. 1
  5. 2
  6. 3
  7. 4
  8. 5
  9. 6
  10. 7
  11. 8
  12. 9
  13. 10
  14. PART II
  15. 11
  16. 12
  17. 13
  18. 14
  19. 15
  20. 16
  21. 17
  22. 18
  23. 19
  24. 20
  25. 21
  26. 22
  27. 23
  28. 24
  29. 25
  30. 26
  31. 27
  32. 28
  33. 29
  34. 30
  35. 31
  36. 32
  37. 33
  38. 34
  39. 35
  40. 36
  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. 49
  54. 50
  55. 51
  56. 52
  57. 53
  58. 54
  59. 55
  60. 56
  61. 57
  62. 58
  63. 59
  64. 60
  65. 61
  66. 62
  67. 63
  68. 64
  69. 65
  70. 66
  71. 67
  72. 68
  73. 69
  74. 70
  75. 71
  76. 72
  77. 73
  78. 74
  79. 75
  80. 76
  81. 77
  82. 78
  83. 79
  84. 80
  85. 81
  86. 82
  87. 83
  88. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  89. MORE FROM VALERIE KEOGH
  90. ABOUT THE AUTHOR
  91. The Murder List
  92. About Boldwood Books

‘It’ll be a start.’

70

Allison straightened, the movement making her wince. ‘I’ll ring Portia now; she and Stuart have had enough time to consider what I’m planning.’

‘You really think they’re going to hand over money, just like that?’ Jo sounded sceptical.

‘You don’t know them. Portia and Stuart always look immaculate and their house… you saw it; didn’t you think it was a bit clinical? Everything of the best, of course, but nothing personal, no tat, no piles of stuff anywhere. Scarily tidy.’

Jo nodded. ‘Yes, I thought it was like a show house, beautiful but not a home.’

‘They like things perfect.’ Allison gripped her mug tighter. ‘Do you know why I think I wasn’t raped?’

‘I assume that wasn’t their plan.’

‘On no, you’re wrong, I think it was.’ She reached up with one hand to run her fingers over the bruise on her cheek. It was still tender. ‘It’s fading a bit now, but it would have been a lovely shade of purple within an hour of happening. I must have fought like hell. Portia said I struggled so much I fell down some steps, which is probably when I broke at least one rib too. I think the lecherous Stuart is fussy about the women he assaults. I think he likes them perfect… like his damn house. I think this’ – she touched her cheek again, patting it gently – ‘is what saved me.’

Jo frowned and raised a hand. ‘I don’t want to rain on your parade, but it seems you don’t have a great case to blackmail them. Your bruises were caused by you falling down the stairs, not because they assaulted you. You weren’t sexually assaulted. All they’re guilty of is locking you in a room for a few days.’ Her hand was still in the air; she reached across and grasped Allison’s hand. ‘I’m not dismissing what you went through, how frightened you must have been, but I’m not sure you have enough for what you’re planning.’

‘You think it would be better if I had been raped, do you?’

‘That’s not what I’m saying!’

It was Allison’s turn to raise a hand, brushing off Jo’s as she did so. ‘You’re wrong. I have enough… enough to turn their neat, perfect, orderly world on its head.’ She picked up her mobile, now fully charged, and rang Portia’s number. She half expected a message to say the number was no longer in use or for it to ring out, so when it was answered, almost immediately, she was stunned into silence by the bizarrely normal tone of Portia’s voice as she said, ‘Hello.’

She’d have known it was Allison on the phone. Would have known why she was ringing. Was it Portia’s plan to bluff it out? ‘I think you know why I’m ringing.’