BooksBarbecue
Back The Widow
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

They seemed to be wandering a long way from Allison’s declaration that she hadn’t pushed her husband under the train. Jo looked at her watch. Only ten o’clock. It was going to be a long morning. She’d let Allison ramble on. For the moment. ‘No, I didn’t know that.’

‘Every ninety seconds. That’s a lot of missing people. How many of them, d’you think, end up being victims of people like Stuart? I could easily have ended up one of those statistics.’

Jo sipped her whisky, quickly developing a taste for it. She looked at Allison, who seemed lost in her thoughts. Didn’t she realise she’d never have been one of those awful statistics? Didn’t she understand there was nobody who cared enough to report her missing? Her employer would simply assume she’d decided not to return following her bereavement. The human resources team might make a phone call or send an email but when they received no reply they’d tut, dismiss her as being rude, send off her P45 and never think of her again. That woman in her office, that Hazel, would move into her office, and the ripple of Allison’s existence would become calm.

It was only in considering Allison’s sad life that Jo acknowledged her own. Both women were haunted in different ways by something that had happened all those years before.

How incredibly sad.

73

Allison was lost in her thoughts. When Jo shuffled restlessly on her chair, she blinked. ‘Sorry, have I been ignoring you? I was thinking about the woman before me. I think Portia stuck to the truth for convenience, or perhaps because she isn’t a very imaginative woman, and the woman’s name was Amy. Portia said she’d gone to the US just before we met. That would be about six months ago. I can give the police those details. They could get DNA from the room. Maybe put some poor family out of their misery.’

‘And the terrible twosome would go down for her kidnap and murder?’

‘Yes.’ She pointed to Jo’s watch. ‘What time is it?’

‘Ten thirty.’

Allison sighed. ‘A long time to wait, still.’

‘You need to eat something,’ Jo said. She got to her feet and vanished into the kitchen.

Eating wasn’t high on the list of things Allison wanted to do but she supposed she should; it would help to keep her wits about her. She’d need them. She was still puzzled about Jo’s belief she’d pushed Peter under the train. Jo didn’t know anything about her; why would she think she’d be capable of such an awful thing? Was there something about Allison, after all these years, that made people look at her with suspicious eyes?