***
Erica turned the TV off and snuggled down into her bed, which, as she’d expected, was perfect too. She wriggled around a bit, not to get comfortable but to enjoy the soft squishiness of the quilt and pillow. It reminded her of when she was a child staying with her grandmother. The room was nice and dark. With a contented sigh and a smile on her face she closed her eyes. Today was perfect, tomorrow will be even better, she thought, turning over and taking a deep whiff of the gorgeous fresh subtle scent that wafted up from the crisp clean linen surrounding her. She was used to the energy of the city. Her street had been quiet enough, but she’d always been able to hear the far-off cars, and the occasional hoon roar down the next street over. She listened to the room for a moment, which was completely silent, before rolling over and falling immediately, blissfully into sleep.
Acknowledgements
Many thanks to:
Sue Brockhoff, Nicola Robinson, Annabel Blay, Jo Munroe, Johanna Baker, and everyone at Harlequin and HarperCollins Australia for turning my manuscripts into beautiful books and for continuing to make my dreams come true.
Kate O’Donnell for her editorial expertise and guidance to bring out the best in my writing and this story.
Deb McInnes at DMCPR Media for getting the word out, and the media outlets, bloggers, reviewers, librarians, booksellers and readers for all the amazing support. It really does mean so much to me to hear of people enjoying my stories and connecting with my characters.
Special thanks to Brevet Sergeant Sean Patton of South Australia Police for his assistance with police procedure and to Meredith Pammenter of Northern Areas Funerals for her assistance with the funeral industry. Any errors or inaccuracies are my own or due to taking creative liberties.
And, finally, to my dear friends who provide so much love, support and encouragement – especially Mel Sabeeney, Julie Ditrich, Bernadette Foley, NEL, WTC and LMR. I am truly blessed to have you in my life.
A Note to Readers
No matter what circumstances you find yourself in – financial stress, depression, grief et cetera – there are resources and wonderful organisations and people to turn to. While they might not be able to immediately take the pain or stress away, knowledge is power. By finding the courage to reach out, you’ve taken the first step to healing and repairing your situation or life. A lot of us have been where you are right now and have got safely to the other side, and stronger and wiser. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, reach out to one of the organisations below.
Getting financial help in Australia:
Money Smart: moneysmart.gov.au
National Debt Helpline (Australia): phone 1800 007 007 or ndh.org.au
Financial Counselling Australia: financialcounsellingaustralia.org.au
Getting financial help in New Zealand:
Moneytalks NZ:
free and confidential budgeting advice
Phone 0800 345 123 or SMS 4029
moneytalks.co.nz
sorted.org.nz
Other support services in Australia:
Lifeline Australia:
24-hour crisis support line: 13 11 14
lifeline.org.au
Beyond Blue:
24-hour support line: 1300 22 4636
beyondblue.org.au
Other support services in New Zealand:
Lifeline Aotearoa:
24/7 support helpline: 0800 543 354
Text ‘Help’ to 4357
lifeline.org.nz
Samaritans Aotearoa New Zealand:
confidential, non-judgemental & non-religious support
24/7 crisis helpline: 0800 72 66 66
samaritans.org.nz
New Zealand Association of Counsellors:
nzac.org.nz
ISBN: 9781867207870
TITLE: TRICK OF THE LIGHT
First Australian Publication 2021
Copyright © 2021 by Fiona McCallum
All rights reserved. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of publisher:
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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the 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.
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