by M A Comley
Table of Contents
WEB OF DECEIT | M. A. COMLEY | And | TARA LYONS
Web of Deceit | CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
WEB OF DECEIT
M. A. COMLEY
And
TARA LYONS
This book is dedicated to Maria Lee for being one of life’s special people.
Thank you to the wonderful support of The Book Club who helped to bring the two authors together.
Special thanks as always go to our talented editor Stefanie Spangler Buswell and to Karri Klawiter for her cover design expertise.
Huge thanks go to our wonderful proofreader, Joseph Calleja, for spotting all the lingering nits.
Published by Jeamel Publishing limited
Copyright © 2015 M A Comley and Tara Lyons
Digital Edition, License Notes
This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to the site and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are a product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
OTHER BOOKS BY
TARA LYONS
In The Shadows (due for release in March 2016)
https://www.facebook.com/Taralyonsauthor
OTHER BOOKS BY
M A COMLEY
Blind Justice
Cruel Justice
Impeding Justice
Final Justice
Foul Justice
Guaranteed Justice
Ultimate Justice
Virtual Justice
Hostile Justice
Tortured Justice
Rough Justice
Dubious Justice
Calculated Justice
Twisted Justice
Forever Watching You (DI Miranda Carr thriller)
Wrong Place (DI Sally Parker thriller)
No Hiding Place (DI Sally Parker thriller)
Web of Deceit (DI Sally Parker Novella with Tara Lyons) due Jan 2016
Evil In Disguise – a novel based on True events
Deadly Act (Hero series novella)
Torn Apart (Hero Series #1)
End Result (Hero Series #2)
Sole Intention (Intention Series #1)
Grave Intention (Intention Series #2)
Merry Widow (A Lorne Simpkins short story)
It’s A Dog’s Life (A Lorne Simpkins short story)
A Time To Heal (A Sweet Romance)
A Time For Change (A Sweet Romance)
High Spirits
The Temptation Series (Romantic Suspense/New Adult Novellas)
Past Temptation (available now)
Lost Temptation (available now)
Keep in touch with the author at
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Mel-Comley/264745836884860
http://melcomley.blogspot.com
http://melcomleyromances.blogspot.com
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Web of Deceit
CHAPTER ONE
Megan woke and immediately checked Facebook Messenger on her iPhone. She wasn’t disappointed. She only had one message—the one she had been waiting for from Tina Lloyd, her new Facebook friend. She had grown so close to the woman over the past three months that she had taken the decision to leave France and return to England. She wouldn’t have dreamed of considering doing such a drastic thing the same time last year.
She had lived in France for the past thirteen years and even called it her native country. However, Tina’s friendship had shown her just how lonely her life had become. She lived a solitary life as a landscape painter, surrounded by beautiful scenery that had become essential to her work, but the persistent long hours had rendered her social life non-existent over the past year or so.
Tina had friended her on Facebook, admired her work publicly, and started sending her messages full of admiration. The woman’s enthusiasm was difficult to ignore. Megan’s sense of worth had been pulverised when her husband left the marital home five years before, but she’d been filled with a new pride. She shook her head at the thought of the turmoil Stephen had put her through: the degradation she had felt daily at his hands and the harshness of his words when he’d criticised her work and told her that she would never achieve anything in this life. She’d believed him, often doubting her own abilities. However, she felt freshly determined, and since the New Year, Megan had kicked herself up the backside, adamant to make changes. She replaced the word if with when as her new positive mantra, and her life had taken an upward curve since then.
The orders for her work were coming in daily, sometimes ten orders a day. She’d thought that would never happen. Her positive mental attitude was the main reason for that; although she had an inclination that her friendship with Tina was also a significant contribution to her success.
Tina had given her back the will to live and encouraged her to sell her country home and return to the UK. Once she’d reached her decision, Megan had immediately contacted several agents and received an offer on her house within a few weeks. The speed in which everything had happened reinforced to Megan that she was indeed doing the right thing.
With the exchange date getting closer, Megan had decided to visit the UK before she embarked on the daunting task of packing up her possessions. She desperately wanted to find a new home where she could be happy again and where her business would flourish. Once Megan told Tina of her plans, her friend had volunteered to travel north, up to Norfolk, with her to find a dream home. Megan had been thrilled by her friend’s enthusiasm yet again, and she’d jumped at the chance of meeting up with her in the flesh.
That morning, Megan was excited by Tina’s message because it was the day they finalised their travel plans. The ferry would dock in Portsmouth the next day at one fifteen UK time, and Megan allowed half an hour to get through customs. South Mimms services, their agreed meeting point, was approximately one and a half hours’ drive away. Meeting a total stranger at a motorway services seemed weird, and if any of her friends had indicated that was their intention, Megan would have gasped and told them they were crazy. But over the past few months, Megan had grown to trust Tina. She regarded Tina as a dear friend, and they were both thrilled at the prospect of meeting each other.
Both anxious to finally lay eyes on each other, they exchanged excited messages throughout the day. Megan went to bed at nine that evening. How she managed to sleep until her alarm went off at five in the morning she would never know. She showered and quickly made her bed. Her bags were already tucked up safely in the back of the car. After one final check to ensure the house was secure and that she had her passport to hand, she was off—to begin the journey that would change her life.
CHAPTER TWO
After enduring the noise of screaming kids at the magic show on board, and listening to two lorry drivers sitting at the next table, bragging about their sexual exploits with a couple of prostitutes, Megan felt her heart pump faster as the ferry pulled into the harbour. She gathered her bags of duty-free gifts together and was the first one onto the car deck once the crew had unlocked the doors. Annoyingly though, almost fifteen minutes passed before she was given the green light to disembark the vessel. She tapped the steering whee
l as she waited in the long queue at customs, constantly tutting as the digital clock ticked over the minutes. The thirty-minute holdup she had anticipated swiftly turned into forty-five minutes.
“Come on, guys. What’s wrong with you lot? How difficult is it to show your passport, select first gear, and put your foot on the damn accelerator?”
“Hello, miss. Forgive the holdup,” the man in the kiosk said as he reached inside the car for her passport.
She smiled sweetly at him. “It’s okay. I was expecting a delay. Busy day today. First time I’ve travelled on a Saturday.”
“Worst day to travel, love. I finish in half an hour. Will be thankful to get home and put my feet up to watch the footie on the telly, I can tell you. Are you on holiday?”
“No, I’m on a house-hunting trip.”
“How exciting. Had enough of stuffing slimy snails and frog legs down your throat over there, have you?”
Megan laughed. “You could say that.” She cringed at the thought of eating the vile delicacies that appeared to be everyday favourites in most French households. She’d never accepted an invite to dinner from her neighbours, mainly because the thought of eating such things would have caused her to throw up. That sort of behaviour would have put a severe dent in any Anglo-French relationship she’d built with the elderly couple after arriving on their doorstep.
“All appears to be in order, miss. Enjoy your trip. I hope you find what you’re looking for.”
“You’re very kind. I hope so, too.” She selected first gear and thumped the air, relieved that the customs man waved her past the checking bay. “I’m on my way, Tina. I’ll be with you as planned at three thirty,” she shouted excitedly before she joined the traffic on the motorway.
Megan arrived at the services at 3:29 p.m. She grabbed her handbag, locked the car, and rushed into the entrance. She recognised her friend straight away; in her late twenties, Tina was a full decade younger than Megan. She was dressed casually in a black leather jacket, and her loose brunette locks fell down her back. Her petite face, tanned and covered with freckles, framed piercing blue eyes. “Tina, how wonderful to finally meet you.”
Their hug of friendship was a warm encounter, the way a mother would embrace her long-lost daughter after years apart.
“Megan, you look so much younger than your Facebook picture.”
She frowned. “You’re kidding, right? My pic is of my two beloved dogs that have gone over the rainbow bridge.”
Tina laughed raucously and dug Megan in the ribs with her elbow. “You’ll get used to my off-the-wall humour by the time this weekend is over. I guarantee it.”
“Sorry, feeling tired after the journey. Ignore me. Shall we have a quick drink and a bite to eat first and then get on the road? I’ve brought the satnav in so I can enter our next destination. I can’t believe I’m here at last. This is going to be such an exciting weekend.”
Tina slipped her arm under Megan’s, and together, they walked over to the Costa coffee outlet and ordered a tea, a coffee, and a gooey cake each.
“I hope we’ll have time for a little fun, too?” Tina asked, sipping her cup of tea.
“Of course. I’ve planned out the itinerary for tomorrow. A nice easy day—a lot of travelling involved, though. I hope that’s okay?”
“Sure. I love travelling. We’re staying at a hotel in Swaffham tonight, right?”
“Good memory. Yes, I thought we’d stay there the one night and move to a different hotel tomorrow, rather than come back and forth to the same hotel.”
“I’m really looking forward to helping you choose your next home. I love house-hunting. Not keen on the moving part, so don’t envy you there.”
“I’ve got most of that finished now. I’m lucky. Organised is my middle name.”
“Wow, you’re brilliant. I wish I could be that organised.”
“I’m one of those people who has a list for everything, I’m afraid. Sometimes I envy people who do things on a whim. I wish I could be more like that. Sadly, I’ve always had a very structured life.”
“Well, on this trip, I’m going to make sure you let your hair down, Megan. You work too hard; life is passing you by at a fast rate. When was the last time you had a holiday?”
Megan cupped her hand around her chin as she thought. “It must be about ten years or so, maybe longer. What am I saying! This is the first time I’ve left France since moving abroad.”
“Bloody hell. That’s sorted then. We’ll make sure we have a good time while you’re here. Our priority is to find you a house. Let’s hope we can do that tomorrow.”
“It would be nice to have some fun for a change. My life has been non-stop for years. I’m reaping the rewards for that hard work now, though.”
Tina tilted her head. “But at what cost, dear lady? Hey, fun is always at the top of my agenda. Drink up. Let’s get this show on the road.”
Megan entered the name of the hotel into the satnav, and the route popped up on the tiny screen. “According to this, Swaffham is just under two hours away. That means we’ll be travelling most of the way in the dark. Thinking about it, maybe I should have booked a hotel midway for tonight.”
“Nonsense. The time will fly by. Do you have a problem driving in the dark?”
Megan withdrew her spectacle case from her handbag and popped it open to remove her glasses. “Not now I have these babies. I have night blindness. This will be the first time I’ve worn them.”
“What? Do you mean to tell me you never go out in the dark at home?”
Megan hung her head in shame. “No. I really haven’t lived at all, have I?”
Tina rested her warm hand on Megan’s. “We’ll alter that, I assure you, sweetie. Onwards and upwards starting from today. Look, if you want me to drive any of the way, don’t hesitate to ask.”
“I’ll be fine. I forgot to ask—what will happen with your car?”
Tina waved a hand in front of her. “I came by taxi. No problem there. For safety reasons, I felt it would be better left at home.”
“That must’ve cost you a fortune. I feel guilty now.”
Tina sighed heavily. “Which is why I didn’t tell you what my plans were. It’s fine. Ten minutes by taxi isn’t a big deal.”
“All the same, I still feel guilty.”
“Enough of the guilt. Come on. Let’s get out of here. Let the fun begin, yes?”
They finished their drinks, nipped to the loo, then got on the road again. As they had predicted, dusk began to settle around them within forty-five minutes of setting off, bringing with it a rolling fog.
“Oh crap! Look at this shit,” Megan muttered. Her grip tightened on the steering wheel until her knuckles turned white. “What a bloody contrast to when I docked this morning. How can beautiful blue skies turn to this within hours?”
“Are you sure you feel okay to drive? You’re scaring me a little. Don’t you usually drive on the opposite side of the road?”
Megan smiled. “I do. Hey, I’m fine. I’ll be better once we reach the damn hotel, though. Not long now. The satnav says we’re about an hour away.” Her eyes ached, and she wondered if she really would be able to continue to drive safely under the challenging conditions. Digging deep, she pulled back her shoulders and soldiered on.
Nearing the end of their journey, the car entered a wooded area, where the fog seemed a lot denser. Megan was forced to change to a lower gear. Hunched over the steering wheel, she tried to peer through the fog, hurting her eyes even more. “Damn, if only we could find the hotel.”
Tina tutted. “It has to be around here somewhere.”
“While I was on the ferry, the hotel owner sent me an e-mail to say our room was ready. I told him to expect us around sixish. It’s almost six thirty now. He said to ring when we were closer as the satnavs never recognise the hotel’s address. Do you have a mobile?”
“Yes, let me try.” Tina fished out her iPhone and held it up in different directions. “Shit! No signal.”
“Okay, let’s both calm down. It has to be out here somewhere. Go back to the crossroads and take a different route.”
Megan did as her friend suggested. She paused at the crossroads, and between them, they decided which road was best to take next.
“Eenie meenie,” Tina said.
Megan could tell her companion was trying to keep their spirits up. She smiled. “Which way? It’s your choice. I made a crap decision last time.”
“Left,” Tina insisted decisively.
Megan took the road and drove down the winding country lane. The fog came and went at regular intervals on that particular route. “Look, up ahead—I can see something lit up. It has to be the hotel, doesn’t it?”
“There’s only one way to find out.”
The road widened at the entrance, where six-foot stone walls shielded the view from onlookers. Megan pointed at the sign on one of the walls. “Wrong. It’s a riding stable. The lights are on. Maybe we should stop and ask.”
“Let’s try another route instead. I don’t fancy traipsing round a muddy yard in these boots.”
“You have a point.” Megan reversed the vehicle, only to find an old Ford Escort blocking their way. She saw the outline of a man sitting in the driver’s seat. “Great, a bloody country bumpkin, having a laugh at our expense.”
The interior light of his car sparked into life. The man’s head slowly turned their way.
Megan’s heart jumped into her throat. “Jesus, he looks really angry, as if I’m blocking his way instead of the other way round.”
“Don’t get flustered. He’ll move off soon enough,” Tina whispered as if the man might hear her.
“Check your phone again, Tina. If there’s a signal, call the police. I’m crapping myself here.”
Tina tried her mobile once more, but the service was still unavailable. She unlocked her seatbelt.
Megan clasped her friend’s hand. “What are you doing?”
“I’m going out there, to see what his problem is. We need to show him that we won’t be intimidated like this.”