by D. E. White
Ava called DI Miles. ‘Hi, Sophie. Penny has left us a parting gift. Let’s just say it is far more palatable than her other gifts. This will keep you guys busy for months.’
‘Cryptic,’ the other woman said dryly. ‘Care to give me a clue?’
So Ava told her about Penny’s legacy. ‘I’m at the farm now, so I’ll wait until you get someone over here, shall I?’
‘Sure. Bloody hell, who would have thought?’
‘I know.’
‘We found a few other things when we searched the house. You should know that there was a stash of evidence that ties Alf Thomas not only to Ellen’s murder, but also to a string of other offences. Penny obviously kept it all after he went into the nursing home.’
‘I still can’t believe she knew, but never told anybody. I’ll speak to you later. Thanks for letting me know about Uncle Alf.’
Leo made coffee, and Stephen scrolled through his social media. None of them spoke. It was too much, too many horrors. Restless, Ava wandered back into the office, opening random drawers, and peering into cupboards. Nothing of interest, and the police would have taken anything anyway. She wondered what evidence Penny had kept to convict her uncle. Trophies probably, maybe photographs. Had she always intended this, or did she think about blackmailing him when he was lucid?
‘What are you looking for?’ Stephen appeared at the door.
‘I don’t know… Something special. Where would she have kept something that she really treasured?’
The boy shrugged, his brow creasing. ‘Dunno… Oh, maybe in her dressing table. There’s a wind-up music box in there. She used to show me when I was younger. It’s got some Disney princess character that dances when the music plays. I’ll show you, if you like.’
They went together up the wide staircase, and in the bedroom Stephen hunted around for a bit before bringing out a box. ‘Look, she kept it in here.’
The music box was packed tightly against something else. A chequered game board and a couple of dice fell out with a clatter. Several wooden playing pieces rolled under the bed, but Ava was looking at something else. A little book right at the bottom. The book Penny had mentioned they had as kids, for pressing flowers. The summer they discovered the magic meadow near Big Water, all the girls had a pungent little book of dead and dying squashed flowers.
Ellen had tired of it well before Ava and Penny. Ava opened the book with gentle fingers. The pages crackled, but right in the centrefold was a fragile line of daisies. It was smaller than the one Penny had sent to her, and would most certainly have fitted neatly as a floral necklace.
She could almost feel Penny’s warm breath on her hand as she placed the flowers around her neck, see the glow in her green eyes, and the pure, untainted happiness in her face. Her clear voice came from nowhere and everywhere.
‘I loved you then, Ava, and because you made me the first daisy chain, I knew I’d finally found someone who loved me back. You did love me, didn’t you, Ava Cole?’
Tears were streaming down her cheeks now, as she sat alone in a shaft of sunlight, smoothing the last page of the book with unsteady fingers. The writing was clear and strong, and she hardly had to think to translate it:
‘Sut byddwch chi’n cofio fi, Ava Cole?’
‘How will you remember me, Ava Cole?’
Acknowledgements
So many people helped and supported me whilst I was writing this novel, so huge thanks to the following:
The team at my wonderful publishers HQ, HarperCollins, including Nia Beynon, who is an absolute pleasure to work with.
Thank you to Abi Truelove, Mick Oakey, and Charlie Plunkett for championing my early works, and to The Crazies, and The Kick Ass Girls for your literary naughtiness and genuine encouragement.
Just before I sent this book out on submission, I visited The Author School, run by Helen Lewis and Abiola Bello, and their enthusiastic support and friendship has been invaluable. Thank you also to my fellow authors – I have met so many wonderful writers over the years, and your advice and support is something I cherish.
Thank you also to Eric and Dee at Singularis for sharing their knowledge and experience of police work and film crews, and for reining in my imagination when I went too far!
The Welsh language features as a strong thread throughout this book, so many thanks to my Welsh ‘cuz’ Julie Lord for correcting my Welsh in the first drafts, and to Jill Crocker for use of her Welsh dictionary.
Having started my writing career whilst working as cabin crew all those years ago, it seems apt that I polished the final draft of Remember Me on a flight back from LAX – thanks to the wonderfully encouraging British Airways crew on that flight for keeping me plied with cups of coffee as I worked through the night.
Huge thanks also to the bloggers, the readers, retailers and librarians, whose support is so vital. Thank you for buying my books, for reading, recommending and reviewing. I couldn’t do it without you.
Last but not least, I owe huge thanks to my wonderful family. My gorgeous boys, James and Ollie, who give me unfailing support and encouragement. My lovely husband, who is always happy to discuss the best ways to murder someone, and get away with it. To my parents, who are such an inspiration, and have never, ever told me to give up writing and get a proper job!
Dear Reader,
I started writing Remember Me after the birth of my first child, whilst I was suffering from PND. After writing an outline, I put it to one side, and eight years later, revisited my idea. Previously, the ideas were too raw and too painful, but as time has gone by I have been able to see more clearly, and fit the story together. Ava’s strength and vulnerability reflects pretty much every woman I know. At times, we all have things we simply can’t cope with, or process, and at times, we all need to ask for help. It is the asking that is so difficult.
I applaud the current trend for speaking out about mental health, for making it a priority, and for chasing away the pre-conceived ideas that have often previously surrounded it.
I do hope you enjoy Remember Me.
Kindest Regards,
D. E. White
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About the Publisher
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