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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

Langley Street was certainly convenient for Allison, whose office was nearby on Floral Street. She hadn’t asked where Jo’s business meeting was being held. It showed a selfish streak that hadn’t come across in her social media posts. Jo smiled. Something else to add to her notebook.

It didn’t matter; after all, there was no meeting for Jo to attend. Still, she wasn’t letting it slide that easily.

I’m not sure where that is. I’ll do an internet search and find it. If I’m late it’s because I got lost. Lol x

It was a lie. Jo knew London well. Knew exactly where the Covent Café was, knew where Allison’s office was too. She’d hung around outside it, trying to catch a glimpse of her years before. Giving up after the fifth or maybe it had been the sixth visit. It was then she’d come up with the idea to find her on social media, get to know her before facing her.

After such a long time, she was finally going to meet the woman who’d destroyed her life.

15

On Friday, nervous anticipation had made Jo arrive far too early for the lunch meeting. To pass the time, she wandered around Covent Garden, admiring items she couldn’t afford to buy. When a jewellery stall caught her eye, she spent several minutes trying on silver bracelets, asking the assistant to take one after the other from the display cabinet.

‘So gorgeous,’ she said, holding her wrist out to catch the light outside the rather low parasol roof of the stall. ‘Such beautiful designs, so intricate. And each so different.’ She asked to try on several different styles, comparing one to the other, holding each out to catch the sun. Tilting her head in deep consideration.

So many pieces tried and discarded willy-nilly, one on top of the other. ‘I can’t decide.’ She held her wrist up again, twisting it to and fro, frowning in concentration, as if deciding which to buy was a serious life-or-death decision. She pulled the bracelet off and dropped it on top of the others.

Finally, she huffed in feigned frustration. ‘I simply can’t decide which I prefer. I’ll have a think and come back.’

A lie, of course. One of the twisted silver bangles had caught her eye from the first. There was an art to shoplifting – don’t look suspicious was the key. In her smart, stylish, borrowed suit, she looked able to afford whatever she wanted. As she’d held her wrist up to the sun to admire a different bracelet, she’d taken the eye of the sales assistant with it. It was a simple sleight of hand to slip the desired bracelet into her jacket pocket.