What They Knew
Page 32
‘What I’m saying, Clare, is… I think we missed our moment. Last year. That night in your cottage, with the curry and my shirt – we shared something then. You know we did. But I let you slip through my fingers. And now, well, I don’t want to make the same mistake again. Miss another moment.’
Clare’s mouth was suddenly dry and she eyed her drink.
‘I can’t stop thinking about you, Clare,’ he went on. ‘Even the bloody-minded bit that makes you jump into freezing rivers to save murderers.’
She laughed at this but didn’t know what to say.
‘So, can we?’ he asked. ‘Can we try again?’
He was still gripping her hand and she squeezed his back. ‘I’d like that, Al. I’d like that very much.’
He put his hand up to her face and gently pulled her towards him. And then he kissed her on the lips. A long, lingering kiss that she didn’t want to end.
Then he pulled back and she saw his eyes, so blue, alight with love, and she thought that maybe, just maybe, she wouldn’t go to dog training in the morning.
Acknowledgements
I’m seldom more than half a chapter into a book before seeking help from a wonderful group of friends who are ever-ready with answers to the most obscure questions, and What They Knew was no exception. Special thanks go to Liz and David Anderson, Angela and Gavin Nurse, Alan Rankin, Richard Renwick, Professor Frank Carey, Dr Julie Curran, Heleen Kist and my very good friend Isabel S. And to my three amigos, Ally, Euan and Alicia, and my wonderful partner Peter, my love and thanks for always being there.
I’m so grateful to my outstanding editors, Louise Cullen and Siân Heap. I don’t know how you do it, ladies, but please keep doing it! I’m so lucky to have Deborah Blake’s eagle eye as a copy editor and Abbie Headon as proofreader – thank you both for your astonishing attention to detail. And to Stephen Mulcahey for a quite exceptional cover design, a huge thank you. To the whole team at Canelo, my special thanks for believing in me and for working so hard to bring this book to print.
My agent Hannah Weatherill is, as ever, the most wonderful support and I feel very lucky to be in such excellent hands – thanks so much for everything, Hannah.
To Police Scotland and the good people of north-east Fife, my thanks for allowing me once more to bring crime to your streets. I hope you’ll agree that DI Mackay’s clear-up rate more than makes up for it.
Finally, to the booksellers and readers who have taken Clare to their hearts, a very special thank-you for making the hard graft of writing so very worthwhile.
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About the Author
A native of Dundee, Marion Todd studied music with the Open University and worked for many years as a piano teacher and jobbing accompanist. A spell as a hotel lounge pianist provided rich fodder for her writing and she began experimenting with a variety of genres. Early success saw her winning first prize in the Family Circle Magazine short story for children national competition and she followed this up by writing short stories and articles for her local newspaper.
Life (and children) intervened and, for a few years, Marion’s writing was put on hold. During this time, she worked as a college lecturer, plantswoman and candle-maker. But, as a keen reader of crime fiction, the lure of the genre was strong, and she began writing her debut crime novel. Now a full-time writer, Marion lives in North-east Fife, overlooking the River Tay. She can often be found working out plots for her novels while tussling with her jungle-like garden and walking her daughter’s unruly but lovable dog.
Also by Marion Todd
Detective Clare Mackay
See Them Run
In Plain Sight
Lies to Tell
What They Knew
First published in the United Kingdom in 2021 by Canelo
Canelo Digital Publishing Limited
31 Helen Road
Oxford OX2 0DF
United Kingdom
Copyright © Marion Todd, 2021
The moral right of Marion Todd to be identified as the creator 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.
Ebook ISBN 9781800321021
Print ISBN 9781800322035
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.
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