by Jane Casey
I opened the envelope. It wasn’t sealed. There was just a single sheet of paper inside.
I saw you on television. You looked beautiful. But you seemed lonely. Everyone leaves you, don’t they? But don’t worry, Maeve. I’ll never abandon you. I’ll always be here.
Watching.
Waiting.
Drive carefully. It’s a long way back to Farringdon.
See you soon.
Chris
I put down the letter and stared out through the windscreen at the trees, where Swain was probably lurking. He would want to see me scared. He lived for that.
And I had had enough of it. I was tired of being frightened. I was tired of running away.
One way or another, I was going to end this.
Acknowledgements
My thanks to all at Ebury, especially Gillian Green, Emily Yau, Louise Jones, Amelia Harvell, Helen Arnold, Martin Higgins, Guy Lloyd, Jake Lingwood and Fiona MacIntyre. Their tremendous support, guidance and encouragement are what turned an idea into an actual book.
I am always grateful to everyone at United Agents for their faith in me, and in Maeve. Special, heartfelt thanks to my wonderful agent Ariella Feiner for making all sorts of dreams come true.
James Norman provided me with many insights, a detailed explanation of cell-site analysis that I completely failed to understand the first five times, advice, help, encouragement, access to police officers and their knowledge and, most importantly, time. Nothing at all would happen without him.
The following people helped tremendously, whether they knew it or not, sometimes just by saying the right thing at the right time: Liz Barnsley, William Ham Bevan, Peggy Breckin, Fergus Brennan, Lauren Buckland, Declan Burke, Frank and Alison Casey, Philippa Charles, Brian Cliff, John Connolly, Rhian Davies, Mili Doshi, Fred, Alan Glynn, Lesley Harrison, Amy Herron, Anne Marie and Aidan Herron, Kerry Holland, Áine Holland, Catherine Kelly, Erin Kelly, Frank and Rosie Kenny, Paul and Ann Kenny, Pat and Kathy Kenny, Barbara Mahon, James McConnachie, Claire McGowan, Edward and Patrick Norman, Bridget and Michael Norman, Katherine O’Callaghan, Helen Gleed O’Connor, Vanessa Fox O’Loughlin, William Ryan, Stav Sherez, Jeanette Slinger, Ann Sloane, Abby Stern, Nick Sweeney, and last but not least Mary Brennan, who is so generous with her time and praise. This book is dedicated to her.
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Published in 2014 by Ebury Press, an imprint of Ebury Publishing
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Copyright © 2014 by Jane Casey
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This novel is a work of fiction. Names and characters are the product of the author’s imagination and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental
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