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Chapters (70)
  1. Cover
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  3. Map of Rutland
  4. Map of Oakham
  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
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  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. On Borrowed Time
  69. Acknowledgments
  70. Adam Croft

‘Mark, you’re reading a magazine,’ Caroline said, watching as Archie moped back towards his brother on the lawn.

‘Yeah, and I’m not just going to stop in the middle of an article because someone demanded it. He didn’t even say please.’

‘He’s six.’

‘Exactly. He should have some manners by now. Why don’t you go and kick a ball around with them? You’re not doing much. I’ll be out in a bit.’

‘I’m on a rest day, Mark. You’re the one who said I work too much and need to relax.’

‘Alright, calm down. What’s this all about?’

‘What’s what all about? I’m just saying put a bookmark in the fucking magazine and go and play football with your son, alright?’

Mark closed the magazine and slid it onto the coffee table.

‘What’s the matter, Caz?’

‘Nothing. I’m fine.’

‘You’re not fine. You’re snappy. You don’t look good.’

‘Oh, thanks.’

‘You look pale. Exhausted.’

‘Yeah, you can leave it there, thanks, Mark.’

‘Alright. Alright. I’ll leave you to it.’

She watched as he stepped out into the garden and jogged across the lawn, listening to the shrieks of delight from Archie as their football team was complete.

The rest of the day passed without note. Caroline tried to keep away from Mark and the boys as much as possible. She knew she wouldn’t be much good to them in her current frame of mind, and was likely to wind Mark up further. Still, it wouldn’t be long before she could get back to normal. Once the case was closed and passed on to the CPS, much of the stress would be lifted. And her meeting on Thursday morning would — she hoped — put one particular chapter of her life to bed, once and for all.

It was something she hadn’t told Mark. A secret she’d kept from him. Another one. But she’d had good reasons. She always had good reasons. Everything she did, everything she said, everything she didn’t say — it was all to protect Mark and the boys. She’d never wanted anything else, and she was unwavering in that.

There were some couples and families who believed you couldn’t truly be close unless you knew absolutely everything about a person. But Caroline knew that wasn’t true. She recognised that true closeness came when you didn’t need to know everything about another person because you loved, knew and accepted them anyway. She’d never been a fan of drama; she didn’t need the spotlight shining on her. She just got on with things. She’d rarely seen the need to sit down and waste time talking about something when she could be actively fixing it and getting it sorted instead.