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CHAPTER EIGHTY-TWO

LIVERPOOL

N ow, just over three months after the shooting of Ray Grace, she was home again – this time to her own house, which she’d bought a year before. The front door opened before she stepped from the taxi.

‘Mummy!’

The dark-haired child ran into her arms. Jonny immediately saw the resemblance to Ray Grace and wondered how Ana coped with it.

Anika stood tearfully at the front door.

‘Is your work finished?’ asked the little girl.

Ana lifted her eyes to meet Anika’s. ‘Completely finished,’ she said.

‘You won’t be going back?’

‘Not ever.’

Ana turned to Jonny. ‘This is my adopted mum, Anika,’ Ana said. ‘Jonny is the man I told you about.’

‘You sound like the kind of man I’ve dreamt of for my Laurie.’

‘Well, I don’t know about that.’ He laughed. ‘And what do I call you, Ana or Laurie?’

‘Ana.’ She grinned.

The child was tugging at Ana’s hand.

‘Come on, we have so much to show you,’ she cried, her dark eyes sparkling excitedly.

‘Say hello to my friend Jonny first.’

‘Hi, Jonny,’ she said.

Ana smiled.

Before they had left Oxford she had slipped a note through Sandy’s letter box.

We were both victims of Raymond Grace. Zoe is blameless and gorgeous. Here is a photo of her half sister. Maybe one day they can meet.

Sent with best wishes

Ana.

‘Meet my daughter, Grace,’ said Ana.

Jonny started. Grace? She’d called her daughter Grace.

Ana saw his expression. ‘I had no idea then about his name change,’ she said.

‘But out of something bad has to come something good.’ She took his hand and led him into the house.

THE END