by Adam Croft
‘Well I dunno about you,’ Emily said, ‘but I won’t miss them. I just can’t wait for us all to be together in the one place, so we can actually get on with our lives again.’
Jack thought back to that night at McCann’s house, discovering he’d not only tracked down Helen, but had sweet-talked her and moved her into his house. In a way, it gave him a small frisson of pleasure. They were the worst possible people for each other. Helen was desperate, keen to grab any attention she could. If anything, she was potentially the one person who could destroy McCann. She’d certainly done more than enough to Jack over the years. And, when McCann’d had enough of her, Jack knew Helen wouldn’t just silently move out and move on. She had to make a drama out of everything. And McCann had form when it came to missing exes.
‘Yeah,’ he said, remembering Emily’s comment. ‘Yeah. We can get on with our lives.’ He knew he’d have to tell her where Helen was. Emily was aware her mum was around Mildenheath, but she hadn’t received any further contact since telling her to keep her distance. Jack had been surprised she’d taken heed of that request — for now, at least. But if there was one thing he knew about Helen, it was that she didn’t stay quiet for long.
‘Do you think we should tell her?’ Emily asked, as if reading Jack’s mind.
‘Well, I guess that’s up to you,’ he replied, after a sharp intake of breath. ‘I mean, she’s got a right to know.’
‘You think?’
‘Don’t you?’
‘Not particularly. I think she gave up her rights the moment she walked out on you. On us. As far as I’m concerned, I’ve got my family now. Just the four of us.’
Jack looked at Chrissie and smiled. He certainly couldn’t argue with that.
* * *
A short while later, once all the formalities had been completed, they emerged into the car park, where Jack had managed to nab a spot as close to the hospital as he could manage.
He opened the car door and secured Mia’s carry seat onto its base. ‘Blimey. Been a while since I did this,’ he said. ‘And we didn’t have all this fancy nonsense, either. I’m pretty sure we used to just strap you to the roof rack with a bungee cord.’
‘Yeah yeah,’ Emily said, trying not to reveal she’d actually found one of her dad’s jokes funny. ‘I can tell you’ve been practising, don’t you worry.’
Jack stood up, admired his accomplishment and shrugged. ‘Well, got to get it right, haven’t you? I don’t fancy doing an emergency stop and having this bloody great thing come crashing into the back of my head. Knackered my back up enough as it is, just carrying it here.’
‘All ready?’ Chrissie asked, as she got into the passenger seat.
‘Think so,’ Emily replied, looking down at her daughter. ‘Ready as we’ll ever be, anyway.’
Jack started the car and gently reversed it out of the parking bay. It was often said that the most careful car journey anyone ever takes is the first one with a newborn baby in the back, and he certainly wasn’t about to break that tradition.
* * *
Helen pushed her sunglasses a little further up her nose and sank down in her seat, keen not to be spotted. She watched as Jack and his perfect little family pulled out onto the main road and headed for home.
When was he planning on telling her? Did he really think she was that stupid? Did he seriously believe she hadn’t been keeping a very close eye on them all?
It hurt. The pain ran deep. And she was going to damn well make sure he knew it.
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Acknowledgments
When I realised late in 2020 that 5 January 2021 was the tenth anniversary of my very first book, Too Close for Comfort, I had a bit of a panic attack.
I like it when things fit together nicely, and it seemed only right that the tenth book in the Knight & Culverhouse series should be released on the tenth anniversary of the first. However, that left me more than a little tight for time.
It’s taken some long days (and even longer nights) but I got there in the end. It’s my assumption you’ve already read the book and haven’t just skipped to this bit (if that’s exactly what you’ve done, I’m doing my stern voice now and I suggest you close the book and start from the beginning, or I won’t be very happy). Seeing as you’ve got this far, I’m hoping I’ve actually managed to pull it off.
It would be fair to say the Knight & Culverhouse series has taken on a life of its own. Each book takes the series in a completely new direction to what I’d intended or imagined, and I find it extraordinary how much the fictional world of Mildenheath has grown.
It’s often difficult to keep exploring those same complexities without pumping out 500,000 word epics each time, but I’m quite enjoying the leaving-and-revisiting aspect of different characters’ lives throughout the series, as and when the storyline demands their focus. In that way, I tend to think of the subplots of the characters’ lives as being similar in structure to a soap opera. The storyline pulls the focus towards certain characters at different times.
That’s something I really enjoy about writing this series. After ten years and ten books, there’s a rich world already there in Mildenheath, and it’s great fun to be able to revisit aspects and build on them as the series progresses.
But none of that would be possible without the assistance of some wonderful people who make sure I get my facts right (or at least let me know what the facts are so I can ignore them) and who help make my books the best they possibly can be.
My thanks, as always, go to Graham Bartlett. Having spent his life as a very high-ranking detective, he’s invaluable in helping me navigate my way through police procedure, which is not only just as confusing after ten years as it was after ten minutes, but also constantly changing between books, seemingly just to annoy me.
Huge thanks also go to my wife, Jo, for reading the first drafts of everything I write, and either making sure it’s not shit or making it less shit with her suggestions.
To Lucy, for her wonderful editing, eagle-eye and uncanny ability to make every one of my books a whole level better with her suggestions.
To my mum, who reads early versions of each book and helps make it less rubbish with ideas for improvements. Let’s call this year’s one your Christmas present.
To my son, James, for mostly keeping out of my office when I’m trying to write and NO I DON’T WANT TO PLAY PAW PATROL RIGHT NOW, I’M BUSY.
There are, I’m sure, dozens of other people I really need to thank, but it’s Sunday evening, I had five hours’ sleep and apparently I need to go and play Paw Patrol. Sorry to all of you. I really do appreciate your help, whoever you are.
A special thank you to my patrons
Thank you to everyone who’s a member of my Patreon program. Active supporters get a number of benefits, including the chance of having a character named after them in
my books. In Snakes and Ladders, Lisa Lewkowicz and Claire Evans were named after Patreon supporters.
With that, I’d like to give my biggest thanks to my small but growing group of readers who are currently signed up as Patreon supporters at the time of writing: Alexier Mayes, Anne Davies, Ann Sidey, Barbara Tallis, Carla Powell, Cheryl Hill, Claire Evans, Darren Ashworth, Dawn Blythe, Dawn Godsall, Di Norwood, Emiliana Anna Perrone, Estelle Golding, Geraldine Rue, Helen Brown, Helen Weir, Jeanette Moss, Josephine Graham, Judy Hopkins, Julie Devonald Cornelius, Karina Gallagher, Kerry Robb, Kirstin Anya Wallace, Leigh Hansen, Linda Anderson, Lisa Bayliss, Lisa Lewkowicz, Lisa-marie Thompson, Liz Kentish, Lynne Davis, Lynne Lester-George, Mandy Davies, Maureen Hutchings, Nigel M Gibbs, Paul Wardle, Paula Holland, Peter Tottman, Ruralbob, Sally Catling, Sally-Anne Coton, Samantha Harris, Sim Croft, Sue, Susan Bingham, Susan Fiddes, Sylvia Crampin, Tracey Clark and Tremayne Alflatt. You’re all absolute superstars.
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Adam Croft
With over two million books sold to date, Adam Croft is one of the most successful independently published authors in the world, having sold books in over 120 different countries.
In February 2017, Amazon’s overall Author Rankings briefly placed Adam as the most widely read author in the world at that moment in time, with J.K. Rowling in second place.
Adam is considered to be one of the world’s leading experts on independent publishing and has been featured on BBC television, BBC Radio 4, BBC Radio 5 Live, the BBC World Service, The Guardian, The Huffington Post, The Bookseller and a number of other news and media outlets.
In March 2018, Adam was conferred as an Honorary Doctor of Arts, the highest academic qualification in the UK, by the University of Bedfordshire in recognition of his services to literature.
Adam presents the regular crime fiction podcast Partners in Crime with fellow bestselling author and television actor Robert Daws.
