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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

Management or chartered. Jo guessed it was a chalk and cheese scenario. Who knew? Who gave a fuck? She’d have liked to have waited till the next day to reply, show that she was a busy woman with too much on her mind to be answering messages at that hour of the evening. She’d have liked to, but she didn’t and tapped out a short, friendly answer.

Shame, it would have been nice to have met up.

She sat watching her phone, willing Allison to respond. When she did… Jo laughed out loud. Bingo! So bloody gullible.

If you’re ever in London, I’d love to meet you.

14

Jo had Allison hooked and over the next few weeks she reeled her in. Longer replies to her Facebook posts. Admiring comments on her frequent Instagram contributions. Adding some of her own. Photographs of posh meals she borrowed from a variety of restaurant websites, beautiful bedrooms taken from hotel websites, hinting at gloriously luxurious and decadent weekends away with her fictional husband, Ethan.

Finally, it was time to go for it. She debated telling Allison she was going to London on a shopping trip. Too risky. She might have suggested accompanying her or have expected Jo to arrive with carrier bags from upmarket London boutiques. Much more sensible to invent a meeting. This had a downside… she had to fix a day rather than leaving it open.

Hi, Allison. I’m in London next Friday for an early morning meeting. Would you be free to meet up for lunch?

For sixty minutes, Jo barely moved, her eyes fixed on her mobile. Perhaps Allison’s alleged interest in meeting had been a polite social lie. She’d either answer with an excuse, or not bother to answer at all.

Jo’s lips were pressed together painfully by the time her phone buzzed. She was almost afraid to look at it and read the brush-off. It had taken so much work to get to this moment. On a shuddering inward breath, her hand sneaked across to pick up the phone, the breath coming out in a whoosh as she read Allison’s reply.

Sounds good. Let me know where and when. Look forward to meeting x

A kiss… Jo grinned. She knew it meant nothing, but she still saw it as a step upward. She gave careful consideration to her reply.

I don’t know London that well, where would you suggest? The meeting finishes at midday so I’m free from then.

Another minute passed before she saw the three dots indicate a reply was being written. She barely blinked as she waited to see what it said.

The Covent Café on Langley Street is good, if that’s convenient for you?