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‘If you’ve hurt my son—’
‘He’s my nephew, and I want him, Julia. He can’t stay with you. Look at you. Look at what you’ve done. You’re not fit to be his mother. I proved it. I sent the videos to Hugh, to everyone. They’ll all know what a cheap slut you are now.’
So that’s it. It had been about getting Co
I look at Lukas. Lukas, who thought he was blackmailing me for money. He’s lying, motionless, his unseeing eyes wide open.
I hear a car pull up, a door open. I daren’t turn round. I look at the gun in my hand. It’s as if it has nothing to do with me.
He’s dead. The man who is the proof of what’s been going on, is dead. And I killed him.
‘A slut,’ says A
I look at him. In the car behind him I can see another figure and with a jolt of relief I realize it’s Co
‘Julia!’ says Hugh again. He skids to a halt. The police are ahead of him, they’ve crouched on the ground. There are guns pointing at me. I look at A
‘She killed Kate!’ I say.
A
I’m still looking at my husband. I remember what he’d said, on the phone on the way here. Co
He’d known. Kate must have told him. And he’d kept it to himself.
I look back at A
She smiles.
‘I took it all. I’ve ruined your life, Julia, and now you’ll lose your son.’
‘No—’ I begin, but she silences me.
‘It’s over, Julia.’
I raise the gun. The police shout, Hugh says something, but I can’t make it out. I know she’s right. Whatever happens, it’s over now. There’s no way back. I’ve loved someone, someone who isn’t my husband. I’ve loved someone and I’ve shot him. I can’t go back from this. My life – my second life, the one I escaped into when I ran from Berlin – is over.
‘I should kill you,’ I say.
‘Then do it.’
I close my eyes. It’s what she wants. I know it is. And if I do she’s won. But I don’t care, now. I’ve lost Hugh, I’ll lose Co
My hand is shaking, I don’t know what I’m going to do. I want to fire the gun, and at the same time I don’t. Maybe it’s not too late, maybe I can still prove it was Bella who killed my sister, that she tricked me into shooting Lukas. But I can’t work out what difference it will make; Lukas may have been many things, but he was no murderer. I’ve killed an i
I open my eyes. Whatever happens next, whether I shoot or not, it’s over.
Acknowledgements
Very special thanks to Clare Conville, Richard Ski
The character name ‘Paddy Renouf’ was supplied by its original owner, who won the right to have his name featured in this book during a charity auction to raise funds for Kelling Hospital, Norfolk. The character is entirely fictional.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
S J Watson’s first novel, Before I Go To Sleep, is a phenomenal international success. A bestseller around the world, it won the Crime Writers’ Association Award for Best Debut Novel and the Galaxy National Book Award for Crime Thriller of the Year. The film of the book, starring Nicole Kidman, Colin Firth and Mark Strong, and directed by Rowan Joffe, was released in September 2014.
S J Watson was born in the Midlands and now lives in London.
Also by S J Watson
BEFORE I GO TO SLEEP
For more information on S J Watson and his books, see his website at www.sjwatson-books.com
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First published in Great Britain in 2015 by Doubleday
an imprint of Transworld Publishers
Copyright © Lola Communications Ltd 2015
S J Watson has asserted his right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be identified as the author of this work.
This book is a work of fiction and, except in the case of historical fact, any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, is purely coincidental.
Every effort has been made to obtain the necessary permissions with reference to copyright material, both illustrative and quoted. We apologize for any omissions in this respect and will be pleased to make the appropriate acknowledgements in any future edition.
A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
Version 1.0 Epub ISBN 9781448127481
ISBN 9780857520197
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