Guilty (ebook)

Argumento de Guilty (ebook)

?Law-abiding? family torn apart when the husband goes to prison for eight months.

I dont understand, she repeated, wondering if she was just being obtuse or whether it was because it was now gone 5 a.m. and she was too tired to take anything in.

Patrick shuffled uncomfortably in front of her in the police interview room. His narrow hips barely held up his dark navy-blue suit trousers. Did her husbands future really rest on this gawky twenty-something with a prematurely receding hairline?

I know this is traumatic for you, repeated Patrick, in a glib tone that made her want to yell at him, even though she wasnt a yelling kind of person. Your husband has told me exactly what happened and I have no reason not to believe him.

There was a slight pause which made Claire feel sick. Until hed arrived, shed expected Patrick to sort out this whole confusing business. But one look at his creased forehead indicated it was more serious than that. Her mouth was dry. And what did happen?

As you know, your husband was driving the Goodman-Browns home. Patricks voice was flat as though reciting lines in a school play. They got lost. Hugh Goodman-Brown was drunk and verbally abusive towards his wife which distracted Simon. Then the phone rang. It was your son, Ben, but your husband didnt pick it up the first time because he wasnt hands-free. When it rang again for the second time, however, he panicked, thinking it was an emergency. He chose to answer.

Go on, she said urgently.

At the same time, Hugh grabbed his arm telling him he had taken a wrong turning. The red car which had been parked on the left had broken down only an hour before. The driver had just abandoned it without reporting it which he shouldnt have done. That might work in our favour. Then, because the lane was narrow, your husband had to swerve to overtake it. Unfortunately, he thought something was coming in the opposite direction.

Fuck. She heard the word one which she never used fall out of her mouth and Patricks mouth creased disapprovingly. Was was anyone killed?

No.

Thank God!

Patrick was shaking his head, solemnly. But Mrs Goodman-Brown is in Intensive Care. For some reason, she wasnt wearing her safety belt. Her husband, who was in the passenger seat, has suffered fractures and cuts. He was knocked out for a short time so theyre still doing tests.

Claires mind raced. Intensive care? Relief mixed with shock. At least Joanna wasnt dead. And the car coming in the opposite direction?

Patricks face was scarily impassive. There wasnt one. It was the wall.

But if Hugh grabbed his arm, surely Simon wasnt to blame? She sensed a glimmer of hope.

Im afraid its not as simple as that. Your husband broke the law in answering his mobile. He was also over the limit.

Hed had one glass of wine. Thats all. Thats why he suggested driving them back.

Patrick tilted his head questioningly. Was there any possibility that someone could have laced his drink?

The suggestion was almost laughable. I dont think so.

Simon said you did the cooking. What did you make?

Goats cheese tartlets. Rack of lamb. Cheese and red onion quiche. I was going to make pavlova but it was too crisp so I did rum syllabub instead. Rum syllabub . A cold shaft of fear went through her.

Oh my God, she said, suddenly remembering how shed handed the rum bottle to Ben earlier that afternoon in the kitchen with the instruction to add a slosh or two.

Oh my God.

Jane Bidder trained as a journalist in Cardiff and London after reading English at university and has since written for a wide variety of national newspapers and magazines. She has had fifteen non-fiction books published; eight romantic novels; two historicals; and several short stories. GUILTY is her first crime novel. Jane was writer in residence of a high security male prison for three years. She also tutored at Oxford University (creative writing diploma). Recently, she was elected as a Fellow at Exeter University by the Royal Literary Fund. Jane is also a judge for the Koestler Awards, given to writers and artists in prison.0