BooksBarbecue
Back When I Lost You
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

‘What do you want with us now?’

Bremer had taken the seat furthest away from the fire, leaving Carla to take the one directly next to it. Heat scorched her cheek. Why on earth did she need a fire in the middle of a heatwave? But Joanne appeared untouched by the heavy warmth. Her thin frame was obvious, even beneath the layered clothing and thick throw. Her face was pale and gaunt, blonde hair limp, and Carla was struck by the woman’s obvious vulnerability.

‘We’d just like to speak to Joanne about a letter we received regarding pathologist Eve Graham.’

The pair instantly tensed. Joanne’s hands found her husband’s and they clung to one another.

‘What has that got to do with Joanne?’ Ian’s tone was cold, eyes angry. He was slight, like his wife. His hair, long on top, was greying at the sides. He was wearing a fitted T-shirt – brown and fashionably faded – with deep blue jeans, ironed.

Joanne put her hand on her husband’s thigh and left it there.

‘It’s OK, Ian, I don’t mind.’ Her voice was soft, gentle, and it immediately defused the tension in the room. She turned to Carla. Wide-set eyes the colour of conkers caught sunlight from the window, creating little specks of gold.

‘What would you like to know?’

It took a moment for Bremer to reply and Carla wondered if he was as disarmed by Joanne as she was.

‘Mrs Fowler—’

‘Joanne, please,’ she interrupted.

Bremer dipped his head in acknowledgement. ‘Joanne, we received a letter today accusing Eve Graham of deliberately providing false evidence at trials involving babies who died.’

Joanne looked as if she was going to speak, but Bremer continued.

‘Furthermore, the letter alleges a current case involving the death of a child will be derailed by Ms Graham. Do you have anything to say about the letter and the allegations in it?’

Joanne ran her fingers across her husband’s thigh and took his hand again.

When she began to speak, her husband watched her carefully, eyes never leaving her face.

‘I had a little baby called Beatrice.’ She gave a slight smile, eyes on the floor, as she remembered her daughter. She looked up.

‘She was our miracle. It was our last attempt, after three failed IVF cycles, and for every day of my pregnancy I was sure she wasn’t going to make it.’ Her eyes shone as she continued. ‘She was such a delight.’

Carla watched Ian squeeze his wife’s hand as she smiled.

‘Just a complete bundle of loveliness and for every waking minute I was grateful for her being given to us. For being the ones who got to love her and help her grow into the amazing person she would have been …’ Joanne faltered, and when it looked like she couldn’t continue, her husband took over.