Page 181 of The Love Letter

‘What?! She left Art?’

‘Yes. Didn’t you read about it?’

‘God, no, I’ve been too terrified to even pick up a newspaper in the past few weeks. I kept thinking I’d see my picture on the front and a headline above it saying “Wanted!”’ Joanna gave a short laugh. ‘I knew Zoe was wavering about Art, though. Was it the offer of the film that finally made her decide?’

‘That and, well, something else actually.’

Joanna watched as the familiar hectic blush rose up Simon’s neck. ‘You mean . . . ?’

He smiled. ‘Yes. And we’re outrageously happy together.’

‘I’m absolutely thrilled for you both. Can your old pal Margaret Cunningham come to the wedding?’ Joanna asked him. ‘Please? No one would recognise me – evenyoudidn’t—’

‘Jo, you know the answer to that. Besides, it wouldn’t be fair on Zoe or Jamie. We’ve both learnt what a burden keeping a secret can be. Forgive me if I sound harsh, but there it is.’

‘I know. I just . . . miss her. And everyone I loved.’ Joanna lay back and looked at the blue sky. ‘Well, thank God this whole dreadful saga has had one happy ending. So many people dead and gone because of it. Poor Alec too.’

‘You know what? In a strange sort of way, I think he’d have seen it as a fitting ending to his life. After all, he went to his grave having just uncovered the biggest scandal of the twentieth century. He was a great newshound right to the end.’

‘Sorry, Simon, I’m afraid I can’t justify anyone dying because of it.’

‘No, of course you can’t.’

‘I’m still having nightmares about the eveningI“died”.’ Joanna shuddered. ‘I was absolutely convinced, right up until the very last moment, that you were going to kill me.’

‘I absolutely had to make it look real, Jo, to convince Monica Burrows. I needed a witness to call in and say I’d done the dirty deed.’

‘All those silly Cowboy and Indian games we used to play on the moors when we were kids,’ she mused. ‘“This ismygame, we play by my rules,” and then I had to say, “Isurrender,” and you’d say . . .’

‘“Bang,bang, you’re dead,”’ Simon finished for her. ‘Anyway, thank God for those games. It provided me with the perfect way of warning you to “die”.’

‘When you fired that bullet into Jamie’s bedroom wall, it was real, wasn’t it?’

‘Absolutely.’ Simon nodded. ‘I can tell you, even though the next two were blanks, the sweat was pouring off me as I hadn’t had time to go through the usual rigorous procedures. I had to load the gun on the way up the stairs to Jamie’s bedroom. If I hadn’t have moved quickly, Monica would have killed you and I couldn’t risk that.’

‘So how did you kill her?’

‘I’m afraid Monica wasn’t concentrating on her gun when she came over to check your pulse. I whipped it out of her hand and shot her with it before she knew what was happening.’

‘God, Simon, she was younger than me . . .’

‘The fact she was so inexperienced saved your life, Jo.’

Joanna sat up on her elbows and studied Simon. ‘And to think I ever doubted you. What you did for me that night . . . I can never repay you.’

‘Well, I just hope that, when my day of judgement comes, He’ll forgive me. The bottom line was, it was her or you.’

‘Was your boss grateful to get hold of his pot of gold after all this time?’ Joanna asked.

‘Extremely. It may sound stupid, but I actually felt sympathy for him towards the end. He was only doing his job. Trying to protect what he believed in.’

‘No, Simon, never, ever could I shed one tear. Think of those who’ve died – Grace, William, Ciara, Ian Simpson, Alec, poor Marcus . . .’

‘But it wasn’t him that caused all this in the first place, was it?’

‘No, I suppose not.’

‘Well, the old boy died of a massive heart attack the day after I handed him back the letter.’