by Carol Wyer
‘You can’t leave, Ned. You’ve been charged with murder. Your lawyer has explained everything to you. You have to stay here now.’
The lawyer spoke quietly again. Ned studied his flat fingernails and fell silent. The lawyer shook his head. Ned wasn’t going to talk any more. Natalie turned towards the glass to signal she had ended the interview.
‘I don’t get why he did it,’ said Ian, sitting on the edge of the desk.
Natalie tried to explain. ‘According to the psychiatrist’s report, he suffered a trauma in his youth. He was obsessed with a girl in his class called Sherry Hunt. Unfortunately, he was very big for his age, and his advances were clumsy. He scared the girl and as a consequence became ostracised by his fellow classmates. He became a complete loner yet persisted in pursuing the girl. Sherry was tragically killed, along with her family, in a car accident immediately after her birthday. Ned spoke about taking her a present that would have changed everything, and being turned away from the birthday party, but the psychiatrist was unable to extract any further information for the time being. One thing is certain: his actions are linked to those memories. It appears he was deeply affected by Sherry’s death. He repeatedly mentioned wanting to be friends with the girl. He admitted he liked young girls and wanted to befriend them. He carried a yellow dress around in a plastic bag with him most of the time, in the hope he’d be able to give it to an unsuspecting girl and then kill her. The victims were all in the wrong place at the wrong time.’
‘But why kill them now? Why didn’t this happen when he was younger?’
‘The psychiatrist thinks the death of his wife was some sort of catalyst. He began to lose his grip on reality after she died in 2015. Ned doesn’t believe he’s done any wrong. That’s what freaks me out the most.’
‘At least he can’t harm any more children.’
‘What about Sage’s locket?’ Ian asked. ‘How did it come to be in the shed?
‘It came off when he bundled Sage into the car and he slipped it into his pocket, meaning to dispose of it. After he abducted her, he went to the allotment to ensure everything was ready, took the locket out of his trouser pocket so he wouldn’t drop it, intending to place it on her neck at a later stage. He spotted the arrival of some other allotment owners and in his haste to get off, put his gardening gloves down on top of it and gave it no further thought.’
There was a tap on the door. Howard Franks entered. He carried a chocolate collection gift hamper.
‘I don’t know how to thank you properly but maybe this will go some way towards it. There should be something for everyone. That is, if you like chocolate.’
‘You didn’t have to do that. It’s our job,’ Natalie said. ‘And, for the record, I love chocolate.’
Ian took the hamper and peered inside. ‘Me too. Nice. Thank you.’
Natalie gave Howard a wide smile. ‘You want to join us at the pub for a drink? We’re almost done here. I’m letting everyone take a couple of days off to recover.’
‘Yeah. I’d like that.’
‘Good. Okay. Any more questions or shall I call an end to the debrief?’ She looked around the room and was met with a collective shaking of heads. ‘Then, that only leaves me to say thank you everyone for your tremendous efforts that resulted in a successful operation. I couldn’t have asked for more from you. The first round is on me.’
‘Now you’re talking,’ said Ian. ‘Mine’s a double.’ He grinned.
As they picked up jackets and left the office, Murray caught Lucy’s eye. ‘You still got doubts about being a mum? We can put it off if you do.’
Lucy gave a small smile. ‘No. We’ll stick to the plan. Seeing the look of joy in Howard’s eyes made me realise having a child is a precious gift. There’ll be ups and downs but ours will be even more special because it’ll be ours – mine and Bethany’s. You still happy to take a back seat on this?’
‘Yolande and I will have kids when we’re ready. I’m cool.’
She thumped him on the arm. ‘Yeah, that’s why we chose you. You’re pretty cool.’
Natalie clambered into her Audi. She’d only had the one drink. It was time to get her life back into some order and be the mother her children needed. Her phone lit up with a message.
If you fancy a celebratory drink and a chat, I’m free.
Mike had been the first to congratulate her and the team on tracking down Ned and rescuing Sage. He’d hugged her fiercely when she’d walked through the lab doors, his eyes shining with pride. No words were spoken. He understood completely what it had meant to her to save the life of a child. She read it again before replying.
Got to take a rain check on that. Best go home.
She paused before sending it. It was tempting to join Mike and talk through what had happened and to share the anxieties and the relief of finding Sage alive. She’d put the demons of the Olivia Chester case to rest for now and nobody understood what that meant to her better than Mike. However, she’d made a promise, more to herself than anyone else. She was lucky to have two healthy children. She wanted to be around them and watch them grow into adults and not rock their boats by causing marital strife that would divide their unit. She needed these moments when she wasn’t swamped with work to be with them. She and David would muddle along. They had sufficient history together to work through any grievances. As long as he didn’t allow his self-doubt to take over, it would be fine. She fired up the engine and pulled away. It was time to be a mother.
If THE BIRTHDAY had you glued to your seat then why not try LITTLE GIRL LOST—Carol Wyer's first chilling, gripping police procedural!
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Little Girl Lost
Detective Robyn Carter Book 1
Her breath rose and fell in fearful gasps but it was too late. She could already see what she dreaded most. The back seat was empty.
Her little girl was gone.
Abigail lives the perfect life with her doting husband and adorable baby Izzy. But someone knows a secret about Abigail and they want the truth to be told.
When Izzy is snatched from a carpark, it becomes a case for Detective Robyn Carter. Someone has been sending threatening messages to Abigail from an anonymous number. What is Abigail hiding?
Robyn’s instincts tell her there’s a connection between Izzy’s abduction and two murders she is investigating. But the last time she acted on impulse her fiancé was killed. To break this case and earn her place back on the force, she must learn to trust herself again – and fast. Robyn is on the hunt for a ruthless serial killer. And unless she gets to the twisted individual in time a little girl will die …
Gripping, fast-paced and nail-bitingly tense, this serial killer thriller will chill you to the bone. Perfect for fans of Angela Marsons, Rachel Abbott and Karin Slaughter.
Order Little Girl Lost now!
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Also by Carol Wyer
The DI Natalie Ward series:
The Birthday
The DI Robyn Carter series:
Little Girl Lost
Secrets of the Dead
The Missing Girls
The Silent Children
The Chosen Ones
Other titles:
Life Swap
Take a Chance on Me
Mini Skirts and Laughter Lines
Surfing in Stilettos
Just Add Spice
Grumpy Old Menopause
How Not to Murder Your Grumpy
Grumpies On Board
Love Hurts
A Letter from Carol
Hello, dear reader,
Firstly, thank you for buying and reading The Birthday. I truly hope you enjoyed meeting and spending time with DI Natalie Ward and her team.
I was drawn to the subject of child abduction for
this novel, not just because of such dreadful events that occasionally appear in the news but because of an experience I had many years ago, when I lost my three-year-old son in a shop that had both a front and a rear entrance. Those panic-stricken minutes when I couldn’t locate him were filled with a myriad of emotions and fears, the memory of which still leaves my skin cold. As luck would have it, he was found in a corner of the store, crouched beside a box of plastic dinosaurs, completely oblivious to my acute anxiety.
If you enjoyed reading The Birthday, please would you take a few minutes to write a review, no matter how short it is? I would really be most grateful. Your recommendations are most important.
If you’d like to keep up to date with all my latest releases, just sign up at the following link. Your email address will never be shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.
www.bookouture.com/carol-wyer
I hope you’ll join me for the next book in the DI Natalie Ward series, The Night Out.
Thank you,
Carol
www.carolwyer.co.uk
Secrets of the Dead
Detective Robyn Carter Book 2
Colourful, plastic boats were scattered in puddles on the floor. In the bathtub lay Linda Upton, fully-clothed, lips a shade of blue, and bloodshot eyes wide open.
When a young mother is found drowned in the bath, clutching a receipt saying ‘all debts paid’, Detective Robyn Carter knows it’s just the beginning of a harrowing case. She recognises the signs of a serial killer, and a second victim with a receipt confirms her worst fears.
There are no witnesses. The victims had no debts. With the body count rising and the local press whipping the public into a frenzy, Robyn is under pressure to solve the crime in record time. But her team can’t find a link between the victims, and the cracks are starting to show.
Just when her leads have dried up, Robyn discovers photographs in two of the victims’ houses, which she thinks could unlock the case. But as she hones in on the killer’s shocking motive, one of her own is put in terrible danger.
Can Robyn stop the most twisted killer of her career before it’s too late?
A heart-pounding, toe-curling, one-sitting serial killer thriller that will hook you from the first page till the last. Perfect for fans of Angela Marsons, Rachel Abbott and Karin Slaughter.
Order Secrets of the Dead now!
The Missing Girls
Detective Robyn Carter Book 3
One girl found dead. Another girl gone...
Long shadows danced on the tin walls. Inside the trunk lay Carrie Miller, wrapped in plastic, arms folded across her ribcage, lips sealed tight forever...
When, a girl’s body is found at a Midlands storage unit, it is too decomposed for Detective Robyn Carter to read the signs left by the killer.
No one knows the woman in blue who rented the unit; her hire van can’t be traced. But as the leads run dry another body is uncovered. This time the killer’s distinctive mark is plain to see, and matching scratches on the first victim’s skeleton make Robyn suspect she’s searching for a serial killer.
As Robyn closes in on the killer’s shocking hunting ground, another girl goes missing, and this time it’s someone close to her own heart.
Robyn can’t lose another loved one. Can she find the sickest individual she has ever faced, before it’s too late?
An utterly gripping and darkly compelling detective thriller that will have fans of Robert Dugoni, Angela Marsons and James Patterson hooked from the very start. You will not guess the ending!
Order The Missing Girls now!
The Silent Children
Detective Robyn Carter Book 4
The boy studied the bruise turning yellow at the base of his neck. With quick fingers his mother tightened his tie, and pulled his collar high above it. Her eyes alone said, We will not speak of this...
Years later, a man is found shot dead in a local park. On his phone is a draft text: I can’t keep this secret any longer. The recipient is unnamed.
Detective Robyn Carter knows this secret is the key to the case, but his friends and family don’t offer any clues, and all her team have to go on is a size-ten footprint.
Then a woman is found in a pool of blood at the bottom of her staircase, and a seemingly insignificant detail in her stepdaughter’s statement makes Robyn wonder: are the two bodies are connected, and has the killer only just begun?
When another body confirms Robyn’s worst fears, she realises she’s in a race against time to stop the killer before they strike again. But just as she thinks she’s closing in, one of her own team goes missing.
Buried in the past is a terrible injustice. Can Robyn uncover the truth before another life is lost?
An absolutely heart-stopping and compelling serial killer thriller that will keep you up all night. Perfect for fans of Karin Slaughter, Rachel Abbot and Robert Dugoni.
Order The Silent Children now!
The Chosen Ones
Detective Robyn Carter Book 5
They had not been forgiven. And they would never be forgotten ….
When a doting young father is murdered and his body discovered in a cornfield for his family to see, it’s a harrowing new case for Detective Robyn Carter. But just as Robyn starts to investigate, a popular local doctor and young mother, is found dead outside her surgery.
As Robyn tries to find the link between the victims, she uncovers a dark web of secrets. Were these much-loved members of the community as innocent as they seemed?
The killer has a message for Robyn and the carefully chosen victims. Can Robyn get to the truth before she becomes the next target?
If you love Angela Marsons, Patricia Gibney and Rachel Abbott, you’ll love the latest pulse-pounding thriller from Carol Wyer. The Chosen Ones will keep you guessing until the very last page.
Order The Chosen Ones now!
Life Swap
She wanted a new life and true love. But the grass isn’t always greener on the other side…
All Polly has to her name is a string of failed relationships and a mountain of debt. She sees herself as a hopeless case and would do anything to change her luck.
So when she’s given the opportunity to swap all she’s ever known for a life of luxury, Polly jumps at the chance. Soon, it’s all diamonds, spa days and celebrity parties. Now all that's missing from her life is a bit of romance. Will hunky Matt be the man to heal her broken heart?
But money can’t always buy you happiness. Can the life she’s always dreamed of get in the way of true love?
A witty, heart warming read, perfect for fans of Debbie Johnson and Carole Matthews.
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Take a Chance on Me
A laugh-out-loud feel good romantic comedy
A hilarious heart-warming read about friendship, taking chances and finding love, second time round.
When Charlie’s husband leaves after ten years of marriage, her spirits hit an all-time low. She just isn’t sure how to pick herself up again. So, best friend Mercedes makes it her mission to put a spring back in Charlie’s step with the perfect bucket list.
As Charlie takes a chance and bungee jumps and belly dances her way through an array of adventures, her love life also begins to look up and she’s soon enjoying a few dates as a newly single woman. She begins to realise that finding romance, might not be so hard, especially when you’ve got someone like journalist Jake who has an adorable little boy and is very easy on the eye.
But is Jake too good to be true? As Charlie’s challenges on the bucket list get bigger, so do her questions about Jake. Should she continue to hold out for the fairy-tale? Or should she take a chance on Jake and hope for a happy ending?
A witty romantic read perfect for fans of Carole Matthews and Debbie Johnson.
Order Take a Chance on Me now!
