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Back Under a Dark Cloud Save as PDF
Chapters (77)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. Prologue
  4. Part 1
  5. 1
  6. 2
  7. 3
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. 7
  12. 8
  13. 9
  14. 10
  15. 11
  16. 12
  17. 13
  18. 14
  19. 15
  20. 16
  21. 17
  22. 18
  23. 19
  24. 20
  25. Part 2
  26. 21
  27. 22
  28. 23
  29. 24
  30. 25
  31. 26
  32. 27
  33. 28
  34. 29
  35. 30
  36. 31
  37. 32
  38. 33
  39. 34
  40. 35
  41. 36
  42. 37
  43. 38
  44. 39
  45. 40
  46. 41
  47. Part 3
  48. 42
  49. 43
  50. 44
  51. 45
  52. 46
  53. 47
  54. 48
  55. 49
  56. 50
  57. 51
  58. 52
  59. 53
  60. 54
  61. 55
  62. 56
  63. 57
  64. 58
  65. 59
  66. 60
  67. 61
  68. 62
  69. 63
  70. 64
  71. 65
  72. 66
  73. Acknowledgements
  74. Next in Series
  75. Canelo Crime
  76. About the Author
  77. Also by Louisa Scarr

Justin’s expression changes. His face contorts, his eyes flash with anger. ‘So you agree then, Sophie?’ he says, his voice steely. ‘Isn’t that motive? A man who’s been torn up with jealousy towards Simon since their PhD days. Who’s harboured a grudge against him for nearly twenty fucking years. A man who sees Simon getting all the recognition and celebrity that he has always been denied discovers that Simon’s taking his crowning achievement. His last bid for success.’ Justin leans forward. He’s so close to Sophie that she can smell the coffee on his breath. ‘And you still think he didn’t kill him?’

‘Piss off,’ Sophie hisses. She pushes away from the table and stands up so fast that her chair falls over with a crash. ‘You barely know Finn. You have no idea what he’s like.’

She turns and walks away quickly, her hand pushing the handle down on the door.

‘Do you, Sophie?’ Justin shouts after her. ‘You didn’t know he’s an alcoholic. You didn’t know he was drinking so much that some days his hangovers meant he had to puke in the wastepaper bin. That the only way he could stop his hands from shaking was to top himself up with yet more vodka.’

She turns. ‘You knew?’ she shouts back. ‘Why didn’t you say anything?’

‘Because we needed him, Sophie! Sharp said everything would be fine. He said he had everything under control. But he didn’t, did he? And Finn killed him.’

The tears come thick and fast now. Sophie can’t hear any more. She pulls the door open and rushes into the corridor, slamming it shut behind her. She can barely see as she runs out of the hotel, back to her car.

And all the while, the thought runs through her head: is Justin right?

Is he right?

38

Freya wakes by herself – without an alarm, without her phone jerking her awake. She lies in her bed and stretches. She actually feels good. Rested.

She looks at her phone, set to silent. It’s past ten; she can’t remember having slept this late for ages. The text from Robin makes her smile – she doesn’t know when he’s ever used an emoji. He must be feeling bad about his state last night. She wonders where he’s gone, but forcefully pushes it out of her head. She can’t think about Robin all the bloody time. More importantly, what should she do this morning?

She runs a bath and spends far too long lying in the hot water. It’s hardly luxury – no bubble bath, no candles, only a bland white bathroom suite – but it’s more relaxing than anything she’s done for a while. She takes her time blow-drying her hair, sticking on a bit of make-up. What now?