Deadly Lies by Ann Girdharry (read me a book .TXT) 📕

Maria giggled. ‘You’re terrible. Sure, whatever you want.’

Sylvie let Maria choose then the two of them settled to watch the film. Once it started, Sylvie couldn’t concentrate what with the pregnancy and Jack, and what she was going to do. And the key.

It didn’t matter Maria had taken something. Sylvie couldn’t care less. What bothered her was why had Maria done it? She remembered her friend being curious before about the keys. Should she challenge her? And a little part of Sylvie couldn’t help thinking it might make sense of their sudden friendship – Maria’s interest in her at the gym, the way they seemed to hit it off right from the beginning, the way Maria hung on her every word and was happy to do whatever Sylvie wanted. The friendship had been too easy and Maria too eager. Sylvie had known it, she simply chose to ignore it because it was difficult to meet people working the hours she did. Or was she being paranoid brought on by Jack’s shitty behaviour?

While the film played, Sylvie turned over the possibilities. In the end, she decided a direct challenge wouldn’t work and anyway it didn’t appeal to her. Maria had been sneaky. Far better would be to go about finding out what was going on in a devious way.

Several hours later, when Maria said goodbye, Sylvie left it a few minutes and then followed her.

The suburban streets of Himlands Heath were full of parked cars and trees which provided convenient cover. If she looked furtive, no one paid any notice, and Sylvie’s nerves soon settled as curiosity got the better of her.

It didn’t take long for Maria to show her hand. A couple of streets from the Glovers’ house, Maria met a man. From a distance, he was ordinary looking, a bit rough perhaps. The two of them had a brief exchange and then Maria handed over a small item from her pocket. It had to be the key. Sylvie watched from the corner of the road peering out from behind a sycamore tree. This was crazy and weird, what was Maria up to? It didn’t look like kleptomania to Sylvie. Now she faced a choice – should she follow the man?

He was a few years older than Maria. Dressed in a long dark coat he had a hardened air about him, in the lines of his face and the intense way he spoke to Maria. The daring part of Sylvie said yes, follow him, though she realised he wasn’t the sort of man she was used to. He was a more dangerous type.

Sylvie shuffled her feet. Come on, girl, she said to herself, what’s life without a bit of risk. Hadn’t she come to England to escape the suffocation of her family? And now she was in the shit with a baby on the way, so what the hell? How could it get any worse?

When Maria went one way and the stranger went another, Sylvie made a quick decision and followed the man.

29

Tom received a call from Grant.

‘Nothing at Jack’s apartment,’ Grant snapped. ‘No trace of the children, and no bloodstains showed up after luminol testing.’

DNA results would take a while to come in but it didn’t sound promising. When Tom told Ruby she was as disappointed as he was.

‘We wait,’ Tom said. ‘Our focus is next contact from the abductor.’

An unexpected visitor came ringing at the door a while later. It was Uncle Philip.

‘My poor Alice,’ Philip said. ‘I’ve been worrying about you day and night.’ He put his arms around his niece.

‘Joan, I know we’ve had our fallouts but let’s forget about all that rubbish. I want to be here for Alice.’

Joan Hardman gave a small nod.

Philip took Tom’s hand. ‘Good to see you again. Has there been any news?’

Tom shook his head. ‘This is my colleague, Ms Silver. I’m sorry we can’t divulge any sensitive information.’

Tom was interrupted by Jack storming into the house, back from his visit with Grant. ‘What the hell are you doing here?’ Jack demanded.

‘I’m supporting my niece.’ Philip’s voice was tight. ‘Which is a hell of a lot more than you’re doing.’

‘You mean you’re here to wheedle more funds out of her,’ Jack sneered. ‘I know your game.’

The two men took a step closer – Jack with a superior smirk and Phil with his arms rigid with rage.

‘This isn’t helping Alice,’ Ruby said.

‘Ms Silver is right,’ Tom said sternly.

The last thing they wanted was more tension.

‘There’s no room for men like you in this family,’ Phil shouted. He took another step until he was nose to nose with Jack.

Jack didn’t back down. ‘Shut the fuck up. How dare you talk to me like that. You’re not welcome here.’

‘Yes he is,’ Alice said.

‘You’re the one who’s betrayed my niece, you worthless piece of shit. When Alice told me what you’d been up to, my wife had to stop me coming straight over here to wring your neck.’

Tom took a hold of Philip Hardman’s arm. ‘Sir, I need to ask you to accompany me to another room.’

Philip shook Tom off. ‘Course. I need a change of air. There’s a stink around here.’

‘Fuck off. You’ve been sniffing around my wife for money from the day she was born.’

‘He has not! Phil has always been there for me. You’re the one screwing Natalie. She can’t have babies and now she wants mine!’

‘Darling, that’s ridiculous,’ Jack said.

‘Don’t you dare call me that.’ Alice looked like she wanted to rake her nails down Jack’s face. She turned to Ruby. ‘Natalie wanted to adopt and Sanjay didn’t. That’s why Sanjay’s leaving. Only why should Natalie bother to adopt when she can steal mine!’

‘Alice, you need to sit down,’ Joan said to her daughter.

‘Shut up! Everyone shut up telling me what to do!’

Her nervous habit of tugging at her hair had got a lot worse. She did it now, digging in her fingers, making it look as if she’d just crawled out of a hedge.

‘It’s my babies who are