‘No, I never did.’
‘Well?’
‘I was getting close to finding out about Bud and who he really was. And my friend had told me that there was someone in Sole Bay connected to Malone. I wanted to make sure you were safe, that’s all.’ He grinned. ‘Maybe take you out for dinner, but the events of the evening put paid to that idea.’
She laughed, then grew sombre. ‘Thanks, Heath. But I don’t think Mimi would approve.’
‘“Mimi”?’
‘Mimi. The mother of your child. Your partner.’
He raised his eyebrows. ‘What makes you think we’re an item?’
‘Are you kidding me? She was pretty possessive when she came to visit you in hospital.’
‘That’s just Mimi.’
You have no idea, thought Alex.
‘We’ve agreed on the co-parenting diary.’
‘The what?’
‘Co-parenting. It’s what couples do when they’re not together. So Mimi says.’
‘Right.’
And …’ She sensed him hesitating. ‘Malone? Have you heard anything. My source has come to a complete dead end.’
She gave a wry smile. ‘Malone? No. Nothing. I don’t expect I will again.’
‘So—’ He put his hand over hers.
‘Not now.’ She gently took her hand away.
‘You don’t know what I was going to say.’ His tone was light.
‘I think I do.’
He shook his head. ‘I was going to say that I’ve bought The Post.’
She looked at him, trying to decide if he was kidding or not. ‘You’ve what?’
‘Bought the paper. After all the scandals the group got broken up, and the paper was going pretty cheap. I mean, it was only a minor player at the best of times.’ He blushed. ‘My mother helped.’
Alex burst out laughing. ‘How old are you, Heath? Still relying on the bank of Mum?’
‘Not entirely. I’ve got to pay her back. In time.’
‘Okay.’ She shook her head, still chuckling.
‘I might install myself as news editor.’
‘Stop it, Heath. You’re making me laugh too much.’
He looked affronted, then became serious. ‘There’s always a job for you. Staff or freelance.’
She grew sombre. ‘I don’t know, Heath. What with Gus, and Mum and Dad—’
‘Think about it, won’t you?’
‘I’ll think about it.’
He nodded and looked at his watch. ‘I’d better get back. You know, being as how I’m an important entrepreneur and all that.’
‘Of course.’
He leaned across and kissed her cheek. ‘Be seeing you, Alex. By the way …’
‘Yes?’
‘I know you didn’t kill Mickey.’ He grinned, then walked away.
‘Heath?’ she called.
‘Yes?’
‘I’ll be in touch.’
He waved.
From the Peterborough Mail
An investigation has begun into the mystery of an unmarked grave discovered recently in a 13th century churchyard in Cambridgeshire. The human remains were confirmed by forensic officers after a walker’s dog dug up a femur in the graveyard of the abandoned Church of St John, near Wisbech. Detectives descended on the churchyard after the grave was found on Tuesday. Cambridgeshire Police believe it had been dug in the last fifty years. The makeshift grave was concealed by a layer of gravel, which helped protect its contents.
Chief Inspector Ian Childs said: ‘At this stage we are trying to find out what’s happened. It might be ancient, it might be new, although it’s definitely not very new. It’s hard to say anything for certain at the moment.
‘The grave is situated on the edge of the churchyard, and there are no graves directly next to it. We are appealing for anyone who has information that might help us in our enquiry to contact us.’
Acknowledgements
I want to thank my agent, Teresa Chris, whose support and belief in me knows no bounds. Thanks also to my editor Sarah Hodgson for her insightfulness and enthusiasm for my stories and characters. And I must mention all the team at Killer Reads/Harper Collins who helped push the book out into the world – and Janette Currie who covers up all my punctuation mistakes.
To Jenny Knight, who deserves more bottles of Prosecco than I have given her for her reading of the manuscript and coming up with excellent ideas, and to her family – Jamie, Felix and Max – whose names and expertise I have shamefully borrowed throughout the Alex Devlin series.
Sarah Bower, Susan Rae and Julia Champion, thank you for your support.
And to Melanie McCarthy I just say thank you for everything.
To the book bloggers who do a fantastic job of spreading the #booklove, and especially to you, the readers, who wanted Alex Devlin to live another day.
And to Kim, Edward, Peter and Esme (and their long-suffering partners Emily, Jenni and Nick), love and thanks. I couldn’t have done any of this without you.
About the Author
Mary-Jane Riley is a former BBC talk show presenter and journalist. She has covered many life-affirming stories, but also some of the darkest events of the last two decades. Mary-Jane is married with three children and two dogs and lives in rural Suffolk. Dark Waters is her third novel set in East Anglia and featuring journalist Alex Devlin.
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If you enjoyed this story, check out Mary-Jane Riley’s previous books featuring Alex Devlin
We always hurt those we love most…
We all have our secrets, some are just darker than others.
Alex Devlin’s life changed forever fifteen years ago when her sister Sasha’s two small children were snatched in broad daylight. Little Harry’s body was found a few days later, but Millie’s remains were never discovered.
Now Jackie Wood, jailed as an accessory to the twins’ murder, has been released, her conviction quashed by the Appeal Court. Convinced Jackie can reveal where Millie is buried, Alex goes to meet her.
But the unexpected information Wood reveals shocks Alex to the core and threatens to uncover the dark secret she has managed to keep under wraps for the past fifteen years. Because in the end, can we ever really know what is in the hearts of those closest to us?
Click here to order a copy of The Bad Things:
Did she fall – or was she pushed?
There are so many ways to fall…
Catriona needs help. Her seventeen-year-old daughter Elena was found dead at the bottom of a cliff near her boarding school. The death has been ruled a suicide, but Catriona isn’t convinced.
When her old friend, journalist Alex Devlin, arrives in Hallow’s Edge to investigate, she quickly finds that life at private boarding school The Drift isn’t as idyllic as the bucolic setting might suggest.
Amidst a culture of drug-taking, bullying and tension between school and village, no one is quite who they seem to be, and there are several people who might have wanted Elena to fall…
Click here to order a copy of After She Fell:
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Dark Waters Page 29