He nodded. “And your grandparents. In fact, I’ve seen lots of ghosts since I’ve been in here.”
“Ghosts?” I shook my head, puzzled.
“Yes. Dead people. People who haven’t moved on for whatever reason. Don’t ask me why I’m suddenly seeing them, but I am.”
“So, you believe me now? The house is haunted?”
“Was haunted. They’re gone now.”
“I thought so. You can tell. The atmosphere has been lighter for the past two weeks.”
“Is that how long I’ve been here?”
I nodded.
“How’s Neil? My dad said some awful things to him.”
“He’s okay. He already knew about Wendy and Fergie’s affair. Wendy had confessed to it a few years later, apparently. It had been something she’d regretted wholeheartedly, and she hadn’t been able to live with the guilt. Neil had been furious at the time and he went to Australia in search of Fergie, wanting to confront him, but was told he was dead. Clearly lies.”
“We would’ve been in England by then. We left Australia soon after Mum died.”
“That’s what I wanted to ask you. Why are you not called Ferguson like your dad?”
“Mum and Dad never married. I had Mum’s surname on my birth certificate.”
“That’s what I thought.”
“What happened to my dad?”
“He’s been locked up. Confessed to everything apparently—all except stealing the gold in the first place. Nobody’s told the authorities where it came from, and, although they have a good idea, they can’t prove anything.”
Pete nodded, taking it all in.
“I’m still pissed off with you, you know?” Although delighted he’d finally woken up, I couldn’t ignore the elephant in the room. He’d betrayed me.
“I know, babe. But you’ve got to believe I love you. Fergie may have instigated our meeting, but the feelings I developed for you were definitely not part of his plan. He’d bought the house years ago and searched the place from top to bottom but he wouldn’t give up. He was convinced your mum knew where the gold was and threatened to tell you everything if I didn’t play along with him. By then, I was too invested in us to allow him to ruin it. So I figured, what harm was there in going along with his crazy scheme. That’s why I worked like a Trojan—to get the house finished as soon as possible and him out of our lives for good. Never in a million years did I think we’d find the gold. And that’s the truth, I promise.”
“You’ve got a lot of making up to do. And not just to me, either. Charlotte’s ropable. Then there’s Mum. Are you sure you’re up to this? It could get messy.”
“I’m up for the challenge. You mean the world to me, babe. You all do.”
I nodded, slowly. Wanting more than anything to believe him, but wary. I thought I knew him. Really knew him. But what else hadn’t he told me? I wasn’t sure I’d ever totally trust him again. “I’ve got something else to tell you.”
“Go on.”
“I’ve sold the house.”
“Bloody hell, Hilda. You don’t waste any time.”
“Mum and Neil are buying it. They’re getting married and intend to come to England for their honeymoon.”
“How? I didn’t think they could afford…”
“He sold the paintings Mum gave him. Apparently he had a buyer for them all along. But he’s promised the house will be in Mum’s name only. We were wrong about him, you know.”
“So we can go home?”
“Just as soon as you’re well enough, yes.”
“I have something else to tell you.”
I braced myself once again. “What is it?”
“Your dad asked me to give you a message.”
“Okay.” My entire nervous system hummed.
“He said to tell you it’s not your fault. To stop beating yourself up about what you heard that night.”
“What night?”
“The night he died.”
I gasped. I’d never told another living soul what I’d heard.
“And that he’s proud of you and Charlotte. He also said you must look after the baby. What did he mean by that?”
I almost toppled off the seat. My hand flew to my belly. “How did he…?”
“Have you got something else you need to tell me, Hilda?”
Tears spilled from my eyes again. Hot, snotty, happy tears for once. I nodded. “We’re pregnant,” I choked. “You’re going to be a daddy.”
He pulled me into his arms and buried his face in my hair. His entire body trembled, or was that mine? I didn’t know what the future held for us, but what I did know was it would be eventful—of that I had no doubts.
The End
Acknowledgments
There are so many wonderful people who deserve thanks and praise for supporting me through every process of my writing - from the initial idea, through to the final polishing I couldn’t do it without each and every one of you. To my girlies - Susan, Sandra, Jules and Serena - you keep me sane.
To Gloria, Kristina, Shelly, Susan F, Sharon, Donna, Emma, Gaynor, and all the people behind the scenes at Junction Publishing who work tirelessly to get the word out there.
To Marco - my wonderful friend and colleague.
To my fabulous editor Marika - you rock.
And last, but definitely not least, my family who mean the absolute world to me. From the bottom of my heart — thank you xxx
About the Author
My name's Netta Newbound. I write thrillers in many different styles — some grittier than others. The Cold Case Files have a slightly lighter tone. I also write a series set in London, which features one of my favourite characters, Detective Adam Stanley. My standalone books, The Watcher, Maggie, My Sister’s Daughter and An Impossible Dilemma, are not for the faint hearted, and it seems you either love them or hate them—I’d love to know what you think.
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Also by Netta Newbound
Legacy of Lies- The Haunting of Hilda Page 18
