Daisy started crying as well. Huge, gut-wrenching sobs. Ricky’s arms were around her in seconds. Held her tight. Barbara rushed towards her, but Daisy shouted, ‘Don’t come near me.’
‘You need to leave her alone,’ Ricky snapped. ‘In fact we’re out of here.’
He pulled Daisy on to her feet. Marched her through the long hallway towards the front door. Opened it. They were halfway outside when they heard, ‘I’ll always love you. Be there for you.’
Daisy froze. Twisted out of Ricky’s arms. Turned back around. Stared her newfound mother right in the eyes. ‘I don’t know whether to believe you, but you know what, it doesn’t matter because I’ve got a mum and her name’s Jackie Jarvis. The best mum a girl could ever have.’ And with that she turned back around.
‘Will I see you again?’
Without answering and without Ricky’s support she made her way back to the car.
Chapter Fifty-eight
Five days later, on an unseasonably gloomy August afternoon Randal Curtis burst into Daisy’s office.
‘Come with me, young lady, we are off to meet a new client.’
‘Me?’ Daisy said startled, standing up.
When she’d returned to work after taking some personal time off, Daisy levelled with Randal about who her dad had been, deciding that the time for secrets was over. He’d smiled kindly at her and told her not to worry about it. He’d taken over Charlie’s role as her mentor and even told her that he’d been the one to advise Charlie’s widow to meet Daisy to talk about the deposit box because Priscilla Hopkirk had been so worried that whoever had burgled her home might come back.
‘Yes, you.’ He puffed out his chest. ‘I think it’s time for you to move onto bigger and higher things.’
Daisy almost saluted him. She followed him to his office. A big case was just what she needed to help push the memories of the last few months to the back of her mind.
As they reached his office door, he spun to face her, making her stumble back. ‘This is the big one. One that all the other firms are after. Think you can handle it?’
She thought of Charlie and everything he had taught her. She pushed her shoulders back. ‘Yes, Mr Curtis, I can handle it.’
He nodded. Thrust the door open. Someone sat at his desk with their back to them.
Curtis swept into the room.
The person at the desk swivelled around. Daisy froze.
‘This is my associate, Miss Sullivan, who will be assisting me with your case. And Daisy this is . . .’
But the person at the desk stood up stopping his words. Approached Daisy. Stuck out her hand. ‘Good to meet you, Miss Sullivan.’
Daisy hesitated for a few seconds. Then took the hand of the woman she would be helping to defend.
Barbara Benton.
Her mother.
Table of Contents
Title Page
Imprint Page
Dedication
Acknowledgements
PART - now
Chapter One
PART - two weeks earlier
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-one
Chapter Twenty-two
Chapter Twenty-three
Chapter Twenty-four
Chapter Twenty-five
Chapter Twenty-six
Chapter Twenty-seven
Chapter Twenty-eight
Chapter Twenty-nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-one
Chapter Thirty-two
Chapter Thirty-three
Chapter Thirty-four
Chapter Thirty-five
Chapter Thirty-six
Chapter Thirty-seven
Chapter Thirty-eight
Chapter Thirty-nine
Chapter Forty
PART - now
Chapter Forty-one
Chapter Forty-two
Chapter Forty-three
Chapter Forty-four
Chapter Forty-five
Chapter Forty-six
Chapter Forty-seven
Chapter Forty-eight
Chapter Forty-nine
Chapter Fifty
Chapter Fifty-one
Chapter Fifty-two
Chapter Fifty-three
Chapter Fifty-four
Chapter Fifty-five
Chapter Fifty-six
Chapter Fifty-seven
Chapter Fifty-eight
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