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Back When I Lost You Save as PDF
Chapters (81)
  1. Cover
  2. About the Author
  3. Dedication
  4. Prologue
  5. One
  6. Two
  7. Three
  8. Four
  9. Five
  10. Six
  11. Seven
  12. Eight
  13. Nine
  14. Ten
  15. Eleven
  16. Twelve
  17. Thirteen
  18. Fourteen
  19. Fifteen
  20. Sixteen
  21. Seventeen
  22. Eighteen
  23. Nineteen
  24. Twenty
  25. Twenty-one
  26. Twenty-two
  27. Twenty-three
  28. Twenty-four
  29. Twenty-five
  30. Twenty-six
  31. Twenty-seven
  32. Twenty-eight
  33. Twenty-nine
  34. Thirty
  35. Thirty-one
  36. Thirty-two
  37. Thirty-three
  38. Thirty-four
  39. Thirty-five
  40. Thirty-six
  41. Thirty-seven
  42. Thirty-eight
  43. Thirty-nine
  44. Forty
  45. Forty-one
  46. Forty-two
  47. Forty-three
  48. Forty-four
  49. Forty-five
  50. Forty-six
  51. Forty-seven
  52. Forty-eight
  53. Forty-nine
  54. Fifty
  55. Fifty-one
  56. Fifty-two
  57. Fifty-three
  58. Fifty-four
  59. Fifty-five
  60. Fifty-six
  61. Fifty-seven
  62. Fifty-eight
  63. Fifty-nine
  64. Sixty
  65. Sixty-one
  66. Sixty-two
  67. Sixty-three
  68. Sixty-four
  69. Sixty-five
  70. Sixty-six
  71. Sixty-seven
  72. Epilogue
  73. Acknowledgments
  74. Read More
  75. Prologue
  76. One
  77. Two
  78. Three
  79. Four
  80. Follow Merilyn online
  81. Dedication

‘OK. Stand by.’ Carla put the street name into the police database, hoping to find someone who’d entertain a cop or two while they hid in an upstairs bedroom. She got two hits: one for a domestic, which she wrote off straight away, and one old lady whose cat had gone missing and she’d been worried it had been stolen. It was as good as a gift. She pressed the button.

‘Nell, I’ve got a Mrs Hardacre. Sixty-nine years old, living alone. Looks like she’s a possible and it backs on to the Graham house, so you should get a good view of the rear of the property.’

‘Great, I’m on my way. Text Paul the address and let me know when Hardacre’s given us the go-ahead to proceed.’

Bremer took hold of the radio. ‘Be careful as you approach, Sergeant. Stay back until you’re sure it’s safe to go in.’

The radio crackled in response, but Nell was already gone.

Fifty-eight

Now – Mary

I pull the car into St Margaret’s Road, near Jericho, and turn off the engine.

‘What are you doing?’ Aoife asks.

‘I can’t go to the beach, Aoife. I can’t see another person hurt there. And I don’t want to be near Alf.’

Aoife snorts. ‘He’s in prison, dumbo.’

‘You know what I mean.’

Her silence tells me she does.

I watch a homeless woman pick a cigarette butt off the ground, her battered trousers and falling-apart shoes a marked contrast to the grand houses rising up behind her, and I think: Could that have been me if Gerry hadn’t saved me?

‘Well, where do you want to go?’

‘Home,’ I say. ‘I want to go home.’

We pull up outside and I scan the street for signs of police. I note each parked car, every pedestrian who walks by, but see nothing to make me think they’re here.

‘Come on.’

I hesitate by the boot, scanning the street again. I have no idea how I’m going to get her out without being seen, but she’s kicking against the metal of the car and if I don’t she’s going to be heard.

‘Joanne,’ I say, loud but not too loud. The movement stops. ‘I’m going to take you inside now. I’m going to open the boot and if you scream or do anything to attract attention, I’m going to push you back in and drive you to the sea where I’ll burn your body on the beach.’

She is saying something but I can’t hear what.

‘I’ve done it before and I’ll do it again.’