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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

‘Our advice hasn’t changed,’ said Sasha Dawson. ‘There’s no reason to suggest that you’re being actively targeted. Tony and Andrew Dean were long-time friends. We know Dean had a number of run-ins with the police, and violent altercations with other people, and both their deaths may well turn out to have nothing to do with either of you.’

Abs nodded tensely, but he felt in his gut that what happened to those men – torn apart by a train, bludgeoned to death – had everything to do with the secret that he and Jez shared.

‘Detective…’ It was on the tip of his tongue to tell her that secret. That Deano had killed Rhiannon Jenkins and they had buried her body in the wilderness. He was this close to getting it off his conscience once and for all, and damn the consequences, but when he spoke, all that came out was a strangled whimper.

‘I’m sorry, Abs, did you say something?’ asked Sasha Dawson.

‘Frog in my throat,’ he told her.

‘I’ll get Pauline to see you out,’ Bethany told her.

‘It’s okay, I can see myself out.’

When she had gone, Bethany stormed to the door. ‘That’s it.’

‘Where are you going?’ asked Jez.

She turned angrily. ‘I’m pregnant, Jez, or had that slipped your mind? I really don’t need this kind of stress. People getting murdered, the police marching in and out of our house 24/7, and now your insane mother popping up on the radar. My parents are going away for the weekend, and I’m going with them.’

‘I’ll pack,’ he told her.

‘No, you’ll stay here and watch the house, just in case any of your mad relatives try to break in.’ Her eyes blurred with tears. ‘It’s not good enough, Jez.’

Abs felt sorry for Bethany and understood why she was so upset. She didn’t deserve any of this. When she left the room, slamming the door behind her, he wanted to ask Jez why he had lied to DI Dawson about his relationship with his mother. As a kid, Jez had always seemed to look forward to the day when she was released. His sudden cold attitude to Rachel Weston didn’t make sense.

He thought again about that chalet in the wood, and the conversation he heard inside, and a frightening thought popped into his head.

Jez was protecting his mother, maybe even keeping her safe.

‘Mate—’ he started to say.

‘Do you mind making yourself scarce, Abs?’ His friend took him by the arm and led him to the door. ‘I should try and talk to Bethany, she’s hurting.’

Abs hesitated, reluctant to go, but he said, ‘Of course, bruv, I understand,’ and left the house.

35

The Approved Premises that Sasha visited housed female offenders who were on bail, or who were obliged to stay there when released on licence from prison.