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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

Cruelty. Jo was used to it. It shouldn’t bother her, shouldn’t bring quick tears and a lump to her throat. Ignoring the woman who stood with her chest heaving as if searching for control, she reached for her wig, pulled it on and settled the strands around her face, patting it down until she was happy with it. Happy with it… she had really thought it looked okay, that she fitted in. Now she realised she’d been fooling herself for years.

‘I’m sorry.’

Jo used one of the cushions from the sofa to wipe her eyes before looking up to where Allison hovered. ‘People think saying sorry makes everything okay. It rarely does, you know.’

‘How about I make it up to you?’

‘The two million you’re going to give me will help, don’t worry.’

‘No, I wasn’t thinking about that.’

Jo was startled when Allison sat, reached out and touched her face. ‘Better make-up would help.’ She tugged at the wig. ‘And there are much better wigs than this, honestly. We could go shopping for one together.’

Jo slapped the hand away with an involuntary cry of pain as the realisation hit her. This! This was what she’d been searching for! She pushed up from the seat, crossed the room to the window and clung to the sill, afraid to let go, afraid she’d turn and run back to Allison.

Fall at her feet and beg her to remember.

81

Allison didn’t know what to make of Jo. Irritating, odd and annoying. But the woman had saved her. True, it looked as if Portia had had a change of heart… but Stuart may have persuaded her to change it back again. It had been Jo who’d got her out of the prison she’d been locked in. For that, Allison was willing to forgive her a lot, but it would be a hell of a lot easier if the stupid woman would stop thinking she’d tried to poison her and killed Peter.

It would also be a hell of a lot easier if Jo would answer her damn question. Third time lucky. ‘How did you find out about me?’

It was a few seconds before Jo turned from the window with her usual unreadable expression.

‘I’ve always known.’ She reached up and straightened her wig. ‘I suppose it’s not surprising you don’t recognise me. 1990 was a long time ago.’

1990. A year engraved in Allison’s mind. The year she’d planned for her life to change… it had, but not the way she’d planned. It was the year the monster had escaped.

* * *