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Back The Woman in the Wood Save as PDF
Chapters (62)
  1. Cover
  2. Also by M.K. Hill
  3. THE WOMAN IN THE WOOD
  4. Copyright
  5. Dedication
  6. Contents
  7. Epigraph
  8. 1
  9. 2
  10. 3
  11. 4
  12. 5
  13. 6
  14. 7
  15. 8
  16. 9
  17. 10
  18. 11
  19. 12
  20. 13
  21. 14
  22. 15
  23. 16
  24. 17
  25. 18
  26. 19
  27. 20
  28. 21
  29. 22
  30. 23
  31. 24
  32. 25
  33. 26
  34. 27
  35. 28
  36. 29
  37. 30
  38. 31
  39. 32
  40. 33
  41. 34
  42. 35
  43. 36
  44. 37
  45. 38
  46. 39
  47. 40
  48. 41
  49. 42
  50. 43
  51. 44
  52. 45
  53. 46
  54. 47
  55. 48
  56. 49
  57. 50
  58. 51
  59. 52
  60. Acknowledgements
  61. About the Author
  62. An Invitation from the Publisher

‘Aren’t you coming to celebrate with us?’ said Jez.

‘You know what, stuff your celebration.’ Abs headed to the door.

‘Good,’ hissed Bethany.

‘Congratulations to you both, yeah?’

But Jez grabbed him at the door. ‘No, Abs, wait.’ He turned to his wife. ‘Abs is my friend. He looked after me when I was a kid, he protected me. He was there when nobody else wanted to know, when nobody cared. Abs is my family, Beth. The only family I’ve got.’

Sasha saw Abs look in surprise at his friend.

Bethany lifted her chin, indignant. ‘I’m your family now, Jez.’

‘You both are.’ Jez stood between Abs and Bethany, desperately trying to bridge the gap between them. ‘He’s coming with us this afternoon, because I want him there.’

Abs shook his head. ‘I’m not—’

‘I would very much like it if you came to the party this afternoon,’ Jez said with emotion. ‘Please, for me.’

Abs made a big show of thinking about it, but he looked relieved. ‘Sure thing,’ he said. ‘I’d like that.’

‘Well.’ Sasha made a face to Lolly – We should get out of here – and moved towards the door. ‘Congratulations again on the baby.’

‘It’s going to be an adventure,’ said Bethany, grateful for the distraction from the tense conversation.

‘Oh yes,’ Sasha confirmed with a sympathetic smile. ‘It’ll certainly be that.’

22

While they were already out of the office, they drove to see Tony Gardner at his home in Hadleigh, to discover whether he had been followed or threatened by Davey Jenkins, as Abs had been.

They motored up Leigh Hill, heading towards the A13. In the distance stood the thirteenth-century Hadleigh Castle, the ruined drums of its two remaining towers stubbornly persisting above the country park surrounding it. Unlike Craig, Lolly accepted the offer of the floppy hat to protect her head, and spent the journey admiring herself in the side mirror. Sasha’s phone rang in her bag on the back seat.

‘Do you mind getting that?’ she said. ‘It may be work.’

Lolly grabbed her bag, took out the phone and checked the screen. ‘It’s Connie.’

Sasha cursed under her breath. ‘Tell her I’ll call her back.’

‘Hiya, Connie, it’s DC Chambers… Lolly Chambers… DI Dawson is driving right now and said she’ll get back to—’ She listened into the phone with her eyes clamped on Sasha, then placed the phone to her shoulder. ‘She says what time tonight?’

‘Oh hell.’ Her family were visiting that evening and she still hadn’t asked Kev to get food in. Chicken wings, ham, cheese, crusty bread, a few dips, and salad, that should do it, and of course, wine and beer.

‘Seven o’clock,’ Sasha told Lolly. ‘No, make it seven thirty, but tell her it’s not going to be a late one.’