BooksBarbecue
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

‘That’s the craziest thing I’ve ever heard,’ Jo said quietly.

Portia got to her feet again. ‘Well, it’s over now. Without me, Stuart won’t be able to continue. He might try, but no woman is going to trust him.’ She laughed at the expression on their faces. ‘What? You thought I’d killed him? No, when I said he was never going to find out about the six million I took from his accounts, I meant just that. I’ve tied his finances up in such knots, it’s going to take his accountants months to figure out what happened, if they ever do.’ She smiled. ‘Yes, I’m that bloody good. What a talent I wasted on him.’ She took a step closer to Allison, reached out and laid a hand against her cheek. ‘You never liked him, did you? You should trust your instincts more often.’

In the hallway, she pulled on her coat, put her hand in the pocket and pulled out her mobile phone. ‘I’ll ring for a taxi, if you don’t mind. It shouldn’t be long.’ She ordered one, then hung up. ‘Five minutes. Time to get my passport back and say goodbye.’

Goodbye! Allison shook her head. She was sure there was a lot more she should be saying than this one word… the thanks for saving her from Stuart’s advances despite being responsible for her being there in the first place, the gratitude for the money, which would be enough to give her a more than comfortable future… enough money to get rid of Jo.

In the end, once Jo had handed over the passport, they stood in awkward silence until the toot of a horn alerted them to the taxi outside. Without another word, Portia took her suitcase and left.

Allison and Jo stood in the doorway and watched till the taxi pulled out and vanished down the street. Nobody raised a hand in farewell.

78

Jo left Allison standing in the doorway and went back to the dining room to collect the whisky bottle and the glasses. Back in the more comfortable living room, she put them on the coffee table and sank onto the sofa with a sigh. What a crazy day it had been. So far, she’d not been able to think about the money. She did now. Two million quid. Assuming Allison wasn’t going to do a snaky slide out of their agreement.

Reaching for the bottle, she poured whisky into a glass and picked it up. No more cheap supermarket beer for her. She sipped, slouched down and rested her head against a cushion behind. Two million, and all she could think of buying was alcohol. How pathetic. She supposed she’d think of something better. An apartment, perhaps. Maybe in Portugal. She’d heard it was nice. She’d have to get a passport.