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

‘That’s it.’

Jo frowned. ‘He doesn’t know you’ve paid us off?’

Portia shook her head, a smile lurking. ‘I transferred four million to you and two million to an account he doesn’t know I have.’

Allison wasn’t sure she could believe her. It couldn’t be that simple, could it? ‘Won’t he simply stop it when he finds out?’

‘Don’t be silly. He’s never going to find out.’

There was something in the way Portia said this, something about the look in her eyes that told Allison the woman’s certainty wasn’t based on mere wishful thinking. Did she want to know why Stuart was never going to find out? Sometimes it was better not to know the answer to everything. Looking across the table, she saw the same decision on Jo’s face and nodded.

Allison looked back to Portia. ‘Where are you going to go?’

‘Paris first. After that, maybe Canada or New Zealand. I’m not quite sure.’ She picked up the glass and drained the contents. ‘I’m a bit scared of the freedom, to be honest.’

‘It’ll take some getting used to, I suppose.’

Portia got to her feet. ‘I wish you well, Allison. I hope you manage to put those demons behind you some day.’

‘As you will?’

‘As I’ll try to.’

‘Wait a minute!’ Jo glared. ‘Is that it? We’re supposed to simply let you and Stuart away with kidnapping, raping and murdering all those women?’

The back of the chair creaked in protest when Portia collapsed heavily onto the seat. ‘What? Murder! Are you crazy? We never murdered anyone!’

Allison held a hand up to stop Jo speaking again. ‘Amy, and the women before her. What happened to them?’

Portia looked genuinely puzzled. ‘I told you Amy went to the US, about six months ago.’ She looked from Jo to Allison in disbelief. ‘You thought we killed them?’ She sighed. ‘I suppose I can understand, but I swear we didn’t. When Stuart grew tired of them… and this happened quicker than you might expect, sometimes in only a matter of weeks… they were given a one-way ticket to wherever they wanted to go, and fifty thousand in cash.’

‘No way,’ Jo said. ‘What was to stop them coming back and blackmailing you?’

‘Because they didn’t know where they’d been held, didn’t know who we were. These were women on the edge of society. Not hardened drug addicts but women on that slippery slope. I’d take them for coffee and…’

‘Drugged them.’ Allison shook her head. So incredibly easy. Who’d have suspected Portia?

‘Yes, and again before they left. They’d wake up confused and disorientated in the airport with a suitcase beside them and a letter explaining what to do. I’d watch from a distance, make sure they were safe, and when they were on their feet, I’d leave.’