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Back Where The Story Starts Save as PDF
Chapters (65)
  1. TITLE PAGE
  2. COPYRIGHT PAGE
  3. CONTENTS
  4. PROLOGUE
  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
  24. 20
  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. BOOK CLUB QUESTIONS
  64. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  65. ABOUT THE AUTHOR

‘And what did he say?’ asked Melissa, although she’d already guessed what the answer had been.

Ray’s eyes narrowed into slits and the muscles along his jaw tightened.

‘He refused,’ he said, all his obvious fury with his half-brother channelled into those two words.

‘Didn’t you explain?’ asked Melissa. ‘I mean, tell him about the treatment and that?’

‘Of course I did. I showed him the results of the trials, the letters from the doctors, all of it. But it made no difference. He just said that he couldn’t help, and walked away. At the time, I was so caught up in Dad dying that I just accepted it, but later, when I found out exactly how much cash he was sitting on, I got really mad. I was up for tracking him down and killing him with my bare hands, but then I could hear Dad’s voice in my head telling me to let it go, and so in the end that’s what I did. There was nothing to be gained anyway. Dad was dead and we’d never know if the drug might have saved his life. But mark my words, Missy, I am never, ever, having anything to do with the man again, do you hear? And I don’t want you to either. As far as I’m concerned, Charles Smith is dead.’

Blimey, thought Melissa as they snuggled back down under the blankets and prepared to go to sleep. Well, that was that then. She could totally understand Ray’s reasoning, of course, but she couldn’t help thinking it was a shame. She had really liked Grace, and it wasn’t as if she had done anything wrong. It sounded like it was all Charles’s doing. Grace might not even know about it. She’d certainly not given any indication of it. Still, this was what Ray wanted, and Melissa always wanted what Ray wanted. She was quite happy to do what he said. If Grace ever came to the house again, she wouldn’t let her in.

36

36

LEAH – NOW

The idea came to me just as the birds were rousing themselves. It was an unholy hour to be awake, but now that I was, there was nothing I could do to lull myself back to sleep. I was too excited. It was such a genius plan that the thought of pulling it off had me lying there grinning to myself, despite the fact that it was basically still the middle of the night.