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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

Abs nodded. ‘Who you got in there?’

Jez frowned as he turned a key in the lock. ‘What are you talking about?’

‘I heard you talking.’

‘Oh, someone phoned me from work.’ Jez sighed. ‘Some bloody admin problem I’m going to have to sort out.’

‘So this is the place you told me about.’ Abs stepped off the porch to look at the small wooden building.

‘Yeah, it was a summer house type of thing.’ Jez began to walk back towards the house. ‘But Bethany’s parents haven’t used it for years. I was thinking of doing it up, bit of a side project.’

‘Good luck with that, it’s in a right state.’ Abs hurried to catch up with his friend, careful not to step on the dampest, mossiest parts of the ground. His white trainers were already scuffed. ‘Never knew you were good with your hands, Jez?’

‘There’s a lot of things you don’t know about me.’ Jez smiled as he ducked beneath a low-hanging branch. ‘What are you skulking around out here for, anyway?’

Abs had almost forgotten about his horrible news. ‘You ain’t gonna like it, mate.’

‘I’m dying for a drink,’ said Jez, moving quickly back towards the house. ‘Tell me inside.’

‘Wait.’ Abs caught up with him at the edge of the lawn. ‘Listen to me.’

He must have looked upset, because Jez was concerned. ‘What is it, mate?’

‘They got Tony.’ Abs did his best to suck down his anxiety. ‘He’s dead, Jez.’

‘Who got Tony? What are you talking about?’

‘There was some kind of explosion at his house. He’s been killed, and it’s just you and me now.’

Jez stared in shock. ‘I don’t know what to say.’

‘First Deano and now Tone. The feds say it could have been an accident, but it’s too much of a coincidence, ain’t it? Someone knows what happened in Wales, Jez.’

‘It’s a coincidence.’ Jez shook his head. ‘It’s got to be.’

‘Look me in the eye and tell me you believe that. We’re next.’

‘No, Abs.’ Jez squeezed his arm. ‘We’re not going to be—’

Someone came to the back door, calling Jez’s name. His mother-in-law waved. ‘Oh, there you are, Jez. Your phone has been ringing. I’ve left it in the kitchen.’

‘Thanks, Lynn,’ Jez called, and when she had gone, he turned back to Abs. ‘It’s probably the police calling me.’

‘Yeah, must be.’

Abs watched Jez walk towards the house, and then looked back into the wood, peering into the darkness between the trees in the direction of the chalet where Jez had said he had been speaking on the phone.

27

‘Oh hell,’ said Connie, peering around the curtain in the bay window.

‘Who is it?’ asked Sasha in alarm, and saw Connie’s ex, Barry, staggering around outside, waving his arms about.