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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

‘He moved on to a younger model and controlled her to the extent she questioned her sanity: “Did I come on to that bloke?” “Was I really to blame for the argument because I didn’t put the washing out right?” Men like O’Brian thrive on that shit. They don’t always know they’re doing it, but they make sure the woman they are with is crushed. She cannot put anything above him, and that includes a child.’ Eve paused and Carla could see she was trying to check herself, bring her feelings to heel. When she resumed speaking, her voice was level.

‘Men like O’Brian see a child as a threat to their control of the woman they’re with. If she puts the child’s needs above his own, he feels ignored, pushed out. Kelly-Anne may have killed her child, but she did it because Connor wanted her to. He might not have explicitly stated it – he’d have given her little cues she knew how to read. Codes, if you will. That’s why Connor is scum.’

Carla couldn’t fault her argument, but she’d never felt comfortable about writing someone off. Was the world a better place without Connor? Possibly. But not for the people who loved him, however misguided they were thought to be. Finding Connor’s murderer wasn’t just about justice for him, but for those left behind. Gloria would never fill the hole in her heart left by his death and whilst Kelly-Anne was young enough to find a new man, Carla doubted she’d ever see life the same way again. Their grief deserved an ending so their new lives could begin, and Carla wasn’t sure Eve got that aspect of justice at all.

‘You seem to be quite invested in the O’Brian case. Do you often get emotionally involved?’ Bremer asked.

‘Oh please. I’m not being emotional. I work with facts and the fact in this case is that Connor coerced Kelly-Anne into killing their child.’

‘I’m not sure the Fowlers would agree you only work with facts.’

Eve’s stare grew colder, blue eyes unblinking.

‘Do I need a lawyer, Detective Chief Inspector?’

Bremer smiled before replying. ‘No, of course not. I think we’re done here now. You’re free to go.’

And with that, it was over.

Thirty

Then

It’s Alf who hears about the social workers first.

‘They are sniffing around – why?’ He’s pacing the café but stops to put the question to us. I feel myself shrink back.

‘What do you mean?’ Aoife asks.

‘Why are social workers getting it into their heads something is wrong with the pair of you?’