Michaela could see it. For the first time, she saw her mother more clearly, saw a woman who would do anything for her, and understood what ‘anything’ would mean.
They watched each other. Watched for a long time. Neither noticed Jamison leave.
Amanda felt stripped, soul laid bare to her daughter for the first time in ways she’d hoped would never happen. Her daughter was seeing a woman who had lied, cheated and killed for her. Who had gone to the ends of the earth, betrayed friends and made unconscionable decisions to make it here to this hotel room.
Michaela tugged at the sleeves of her top, keeping them up to the palms of her hands. Amanda knew she was hiding the welts of her restraints underneath, similar to those that had been on her son’s wrists before she’d plunged a knife into his chest.
‘Does it hurt?’ Amanda heard herself ask.
The words broke in the air between them and in a moment they were embracing, tears running down both of their faces.
Amanda sighed. Michaela, at the very least, still smelled like her daughter and in holding her Amanda knew she’d succeeded. She’d not come back more like her father but more like herself. A woman who did what it takes to protect what’s hers. A woman who was also a monster. But a monster on her own terms.
Acknowledgements
If I’ve learned anything from writing this story it’s that a finished book is only the tip of the iceberg in the sheer amount of time, work, support and goodwill it takes to make such a thing float.
A huge thanks has to go to my family, my parents Judith and Robert and my siblings Martin and Victoria, for encouraging me to take a nascent interest and grow it into the passion it became, something I will forever be thankful for. And thank you to Tina, John, Eoin, Aisleen and Margret (ice cream!) Gillespie for cheering me on.
Further thanks have to go to my cadre of beta-readers who had much more important things to be doing than to read my work - Linwood Barclay, Mason Cross, Steve Cavanagh, Mark Stay, Ayo Onatade, Michael Miller, Anna Boatman, Rob Selby, Sophie Painter - every one of your contributions were invaluable and I owe you all a drink at the very, very least.
Thanks also have to go to the SRFC crew Phil, Kristina and Magnus, (and the club’s creators Jen Williams and Den Patrick) for creating and running such a great monthly event which allowed me to blow off steam, meet other writers and take a night off a month from writing.
Huge thanks have to go to the brilliant team at Canelo, Elizabeth Jenner for her guidance, Ellie Pilcher for her enthusiasm, Tom Sanderson for the incredible cover and to Micaela Cavaletto, Francesca Riccardi, Paul Swallow and Caroline Goldsmith whose tireless behind-the-scenes work turned a bunch of words into an actual book. And massive thanks to Laurel Sills, who saw the potential in this book and brought me into the Canelo fold right before she started on an even bigger adventure.
Then there’s my agent-extraordinaire, Juliet Mushens, who managed to turn the whole book on its head, made me see it in a different light and made The End of the Line the beast it is today. I had never thought to ever meet someone with such insight and narrative skill, let alone that they would want to represent me. It’s no exaggeration to say that you’ve changed my life and I couldn’t wish for better. And mustn’t forget Robert Caskie, Liza DeBlock and the rest of Team CaskieMushens, I’m always looking forward to our next drinks and couldn’t ask for a better publishing family.
Of course the biggest thanks go to my incredible wife, Lisa, who knew from the day we met what she was letting herself in for and didn’t run screaming. I love you so, so much. None of this book would have existed without you and your daily support, advice and jokes. You’re the smartest, most brilliant person I know and I’d be lost without you. We did it!
Time for one more heist?
Amanda and Caleb are in trouble in T(r)apped, a free short story available when you sign up to the Gray Williams e-newsletter.
Click the link or visit graywilliamsbooks.com
First published in the United Kingdom in 2019 by Canelo
Canelo Digital Publishing Limited
57 Shepherds Lane
Beaconsfield, Bucks HP9 2DU
United Kingdom
Copyright © Gray Williams, 2019
The moral right of Gray Williams to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
ISBN 9781788634557
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, organizations, places and events are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
Look for more great books at www.canelo.co
The End of the Line Page 36
