Chapters (81)
- Cover
- About the Author
- Dedication
- Prologue
- One
- Two
- Three
- Four
- Five
- Six
- Seven
- Eight
- Nine
- Ten
- Eleven
- Twelve
- Thirteen
- Fourteen
- Fifteen
- Sixteen
- Seventeen
- Eighteen
- Nineteen
- Twenty
- Twenty-one
- Twenty-two
- Twenty-three
- Twenty-four
- Twenty-five
- Twenty-six
- Twenty-seven
- Twenty-eight
- Twenty-nine
- Thirty
- Thirty-one
- Thirty-two
- Thirty-three
- Thirty-four
- Thirty-five
- Thirty-six
- Thirty-seven
- Thirty-eight
- Thirty-nine
- Forty
- Forty-one
- Forty-two
- Forty-three
- Forty-four
- Forty-five
- Forty-six
- Forty-seven
- Forty-eight
- Forty-nine
- Fifty
- Fifty-one
- Fifty-two
- Fifty-three
- Fifty-four
- Fifty-five
- Fifty-six
- Fifty-seven
- Fifty-eight
- Fifty-nine
- Sixty
- Sixty-one
- Sixty-two
- Sixty-three
- Sixty-four
- Sixty-five
- Sixty-six
- Sixty-seven
- Epilogue
- Acknowledgments
- Read More
- Prologue
- One
- Two
- Three
- Four
- Follow Merilyn online
- Dedication
‘Beatrice went to bed as usual, the night she died. I was the one to put her down. I sang the nursery rhymes and read the stories. I was the one who found our baby four hours later, unresponsive in her cot. I gave her CPR while Joanne rang 999. Yet when Graham turned up, her conclusion was that Joanne was to blame.’ His eyes flashed between Carla and Bremer.
‘Every night for four months Joanne put Beatrice to bed. The one night she doesn’t, our baby dies. And yet she’s convicted of killing her. Can you even begin to—’ His voice cracked and the pair fell silent.
‘Joanne, do you blame Ms Graham for your incarceration?’
‘Her wrongful incarceration,’ Ian corrected.
‘Do you blame Ms Graham for that, Joanne?’
‘Of course she bloody does.’ Ian tightened his grip on Joanne’s hand.
‘I’d like Joanne to answer, if you don’t mind, Mr Fowler.’
‘Yes. I do.’ Her voice was firm.
‘Because of her mistake?’
Ian laughed, but Joanne took her hand from his and clasped hers in her lap, her pain obvious to see.
‘It wasn’t a mistake.’ Her voice was small again, all strength gone. ‘She targeted me and convicted me.’ Her eyes rose to meet Bremer’s. ‘What she did was deliberate.’
Carla suddenly felt cold. Joanne spoke with such conviction it was hard to believe it wasn’t true, but why would a respected pathologist frame a woman she’d never met before?
Bremer took a moment before replying. ‘Is that why you wrote the letter?’
Joanne frowned. ‘I didn’t write a letter.’
‘Do you know a man called Connor O’Brian?’ Bremer asked.
Joanne shook her head.
‘The letter we received suggested Ms Graham was going to falsify evidence against another woman, in the same manner you allege she did to you after your …’ He paused, and Carla sensed he knew to tread carefully, avoid too much police speak. ‘After your baby died,’ he finished.
‘Yes, but that doesn’t mean I wrote a letter. I don’t want revenge. I just want her to acknowledge what she did.’
‘Well that’s what the author of the letter wants too. And we are concerned whoever wrote it wishes harm to Ms Graham.’
Ian grabbed Joanne’s thigh. ‘Well I hope that person succeeds.’
Bremer’s phone rang. Checking the screen, he stood. ‘I’m sorry, I have to get this.’
And seconds later Carla was alone with the couple.
They sat in silence. Carla felt panic rising. Should she speak? She caught Joanne’s eye and the pain in the woman’s face stunned her. But it also seemed to be begging for her to ask a question, so Carla asked the only one she had.
‘Joanne, why are you so convinced that Eve acted deliberately?’
Joanne’s shoulders fell as if with relief. But as she opened her mouth to speak, Ian put his hand on her arm.